Chennai: To sensitise students in both govt and aided schools and educate them on the dangers of consuming tobacco and related products, school administrations have been instructed to put up posters on their campuses and paint roads leading to schools with an anti-tobacco message.The oral guidelines, issued by respective chief/district education officers, also mandate school heads to hold awareness sessions to students and complete the tasks by this month. “The roads within 100 yards from school compound walls, leading to the gate, must be painted ‘Anti-Tobacco Zone’ and posters have to be displayed on school walls and on notice boards within campus,” a school head said.Officials from the school education department said steps were intended to achieve the union health ministry’s guidelines to create Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (TFEI). “In addition, every school is mandated to have an anti-drug club headed by a teacher. Two students — from class IX and X — will be appointed as members to plan rallies, events or sessions to raise awareness against tobacco consumption,” Chennai chief education officer M Kabir said.The activities of the clubs will be monitored by block education officers. School heads have to make a log of the activities carried out and submit the same, he added.School heads also said they have been instructed to coordinate with police officials, if needed, to identify shops selling tobacco items in the vicinity (within 100 yards) and take action, and also take their own measures to prevent tobacco use in schools. “At our school, we constantly check students’ bags and belongings to see if there are any items. Now we have been officially given approval for the same,” a HM said.Anti-tobacco activists welcomed the move, but said it should be followed by stricter enforcement. “There should be a permanent ban on gutkha and related products in the state to end the issue once and for all. For a start, the guidelines should be effectively enforced in and around school zones to prevent students from falling prey to tobacco menace,” said Cyril Alexander, state convenor, Tamil Nadu’s People Forum For Tobacco Control.
