Ranchi: Education Minister Jaggarnath Mahto and Health Minister Banna Gupta on Wednesday jointly released the “Implementation Directory” for Tobacco Free Educational Institute at MDI Bhawan Auditorium, Dhurwa.
This “Implementation Guide” has been created by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of Jharkhand and Socio-Economic and Educational Development Society (CIDUS) to ensure compliance of the activities of Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (TOFEI).
Along with children, teachers also have to be made aware of the ill effects of tobacco. Speaking on the occasion Mahto said that along with the children the teachers also have to be made aware of the ill effects of tobacco. He said that the immunity power decreases due to intoxication as a result people get sick soon. He said that a healthy Jharkhand can be imagined only from a drug-free
society.
Giving his example, he said that he does not take any kind of intoxicant due to which his immunity power is strong and for this reason, he is standing alive today after coming out of the mouth of death. He advised people to quit drugs and increase their immunity. Health Minister Banna Gupta said that it is the priority of the government to save the people of Jharkhand from the consumption of tobacco and that is why the government led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren has put the health of the people first and banned tobacco in the state, regardless of the loss of revenue. Under the Food Safety Act, the government has banned 11 designated tobacco products in the state.
The tobacco eradication campaign has been strictly implemented. WHO has also encouraged the work of tobacco eradication campaign in Jharkhand he said adding that the department has been honoured and rewarded. He said that before the tobacco eradication campaign, 50 percent people in Jharkhand used to consume tobacco, but now it has come down to 38.9 percent after the tireless efforts of all.
The minister said that all need to make more efforts, so that more and more people can be freed from the curse of drug abuse. He said that many efforts are being made to make the school children free 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 Act is in force, which has provisions for punishment. Secretary Rajesh Kumar Sharma said that the “Implementation Guide” has been developed by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of Jharkhand and Socio-Economic and Educational Development Society (CIDUS) to ensure compliance of the activities of Tobacco Free Educational
Institutions (TOFEI).
He said that there is a need to take the school tobacco eradication campaign seriously. He said that School children, teachers and school staff should join this campaign and help the department in making the state drug-free. 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 told that in India about 13 lakh people die every year due to diseases caused by tobacco consumption. He said that 38.9 percent people in Jharkhand 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 consume tobacco in some form or the other.