'Implementation Directory' for Tobacco Free Educational Institute

• 25 Aug 2022

Why In News?

• On August 24, 2022, Jharkhand Education Minister Jagarnath Mahato and Health Minister Banna Gupta jointly released the 'Implementation Directory' for tobacco-free educational institutions at MDI Bhawan auditorium, Dhurwa.

Key Points

• This 'Implementation Directory' has been prepared by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of Jharkhand and Socio Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS) to ensure compliance of the activities of Tobacco Free Educational Institute (TOFEI).
• Health Minister Banna Gupta said that saving the people of Jharkhand from tobacco consumption is the priority of the state government. For this reason, the government has kept the health of the people paramount regardless of the loss of revenue and banned tobacco in the state.
• Under the Food Safety Act, the government has banned 11 named tobacco products in the state. The tobacco eradication campaign has been strictly implemented. WHO has also encouraged, honored and rewarded the work of tobacco eradication campaign in Jharkhand.
• The Health Minister said that many efforts are being made to free school children from tobacco consumption, in which there is a complete ban on the purchase and sale of any kind of tobacco within 100 yards of the school premises. The COTPA law is in force, with provisions for punishment. Before the tobacco eradication campaign, 50 percent of the people in Jharkhand used to consume tobacco, but now it has come down to 38.9 percent.
• Deepak Mishra Executive Director Seeds, New Delhi gave information related to the ill-effects of tobacco, the provision of punishment for the sale and purchase of tobacco in the law through a presentation.
• He said that in India about 13 lakh people die every year due to diseases caused by tobacco consumption. In Jharkhand 38.9 percent people use tobacco, out of which 34.5 percent people use chewing tobacco. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey-19, 5.1 percent children/minors of 13.15 years in Jharkhand use tobacco in some form or the other.