The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Tobacco control task force in schools, colleges soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 08, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Tobacco control task force in schools, colleges soon

Meera Srinivasan

District liaison officers and NSS coordinators part of exercise

— Photo: N. Sridharan

WARNING SIGN: A ‘No smoking’ board put up outside Bala Vidya Mandir School.

CHENNAI: In less than a month, all schools and colleges in the State will have a Tobacco Control Task Force established in their institutions. A declaration ceremony announcing this is likely to be held early next month.

In this connection, the Adyar Cancer Institute has been coordinating with various agencies, including the State Health Department, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for over a year now. The implementing agencies have fixed August 31 as the deadline for setting up of the task forces.

The initiative, aimed at making educational institutions tobacco-free, involves student volunteers and teachers from schools and colleges.

Training

As many as 37 coordinators from universities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been receiving training to help establish the task force. District liaison officers for schools and NSS coordinators from colleges are part of the exercise.

E. Vidubala, principle investigator, Tobacco Cessation Centre, Adyar Cancer Institute, said: “Just like Red Ribbon Clubs function, these Tobacco Control Task Forces will be an integral part of the institutions’ NSS wing activities.”

This year, the WHO’s theme for ‘World No Tobacco Day’ observed in May was ‘Tobacco-free youth.’

Thus the emphasis on educational institutions’ involvement, she explained.

Since last year, the Cancer Institute has been partnering select city schools and colleges to create awareness.

“Students go around their schools, requesting small shops to stop selling tobacco. That way, we can ensure that no tobacco product is sold within 100-metre radius of any educational institution,” Ms. Vidubala said.

Set of guidelines

A set of guidelines were issued to the participating institutions and the State government awarded certificates to schools and colleges that adhered to them.

Bala Vidya Mandir School in Adyar is one of the partnering institutions that have been working towards this since last year.

“Children participated in poster-making competitions and went around campaigning in the neighbourhood,” said P. Shoba, teacher coordinator, of the school’s Nature Club.

R. Mahalakshmi, another teacher who has been involved in the initiative, said after children spoke to shop keepers in the area, they agreed to stop stocking or selling tobacco.

Very soon, more students and teachers will join them in this attempt aimed at making the environment tobacco-free.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu