India: District Education Officers Apathetic over Anti-tobacco Drive

Source from:  The Times of India  01/11/2013

Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi had administered oath to about 4,000 students at Gandhi Maidan here on November 7 last year to shun tobacco, but the anti-tobacco drive is faltering due to the apathy of district education officers (DEOs). The reminders of Cancer Awareness Society (CAS) to them for submission of reports about the implementation of Section 6 of the anti-tobacco law - COTPA- have fallen on deaf ears.

As per this section, buying and selling of tobacco products are prohibited within a radius of 100 yards of a school. Also, a board with a notice regarding the ban on buying of tobacco products by both students and teachers is to be put up in the area.
 
The education department had earlier directed the DEOs to submit a report regarding proper implementation of Section 6 of COTPA under their jurisdictions by the seventh day of every month. However, the reports are still awaited.
 
On December 19, a reminder was sent to DEOs in this regard, but in vain. On December 4 last, a meeting of DEOs was held, where they had assured that implementation reports would be submitted by December 11. However, till now, reports have been received from only four districts.
 
CAS chairman T P Sinha has expressed his dissatisfaction on the insensitivity of DEOs and said that around 54% of the population is addicted to tobacco. Without the participation of DEOs, securing the coming generation from the grip of tobacco will be impossible, he said.
 
In a related development, on January 8, the education department issued a directive to Bihar State Text Book Publishing Corporation to include the harmful effects of tobacco consumption in the school syllabus above Standard VI. Enditem