COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore district tobacco control cell which conducted a sixty-day tobacco-free youth campaign from September 24 and November 23 has declared 200 educational institutions and 32 villages in the district as free of tobacco sale and use.
“Unlike previous assessments, this year we conducted an evaluation and followed it up with a campaign intensively. From September 24 to November 23, we conducted awareness drives at educational institutions in the city and rural areas,” said Dr M Saranya Devi, district consultant of the tobacco control cell under the health department.
After the campaign, they evaluated the results and declared 32 villages and 200 educational institutions as tobacco-free.
Similar to efforts taken by police to prevent the sale of ganja, the health department carries out several awareness and prevention activities in villages and educational institutions to wean away people from tobacco products.
So far, 1343 educational institutions and 32 villages have been declared as tobacco-free.
“This time we have tightened the process and ensured every village panchayat participates in the drive to pass a resolution against tobacco sale and consumption. Also, they are asked to place announcement banners at the entry and exit points. Finally, they are asked to furnish scorecards in which they must obtain at least 80 marks on various criteria and a maximum of 150 marks. After identifying 85 villages in this drive, we have declared 32 as tobacco-free based on the assessment. It is a credit to them that expires in three years,” Saranya Devi explained.
Already, 1343 institutions and 32 villages have been declared as tobacco-free.