KRISHNAGIRI: While nearly 1,250 private and government schools and colleges received Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) certificate from the health department, a few schools and colleges are yet to receive the certificate and are yet to demarcate tobacco-free zones.
Health department sources from Krishnagiri district told TNIE, "Schools and colleges in Krishnagiri district applied for ToFEI certificate over the past few months. The health department gave the certificate through Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine to 1,231 educational institutions in the district, of which 1,029 are government and 202 are private educational institutions, including schools and colleges.
Apart from the certificate, schools and colleges were asked to demarcate 100 yards or 300 feet around the educational institutions to mark tobacco-free zone. Sale of tobacco products within 100 yards is punishable under sections of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA)."
"To make educational institutions tobacco-free, many schools and colleges applied and received the certificate. However, the yellow line has not been marked in in many institutions. Thereby, the school education department was asked to comply with the order of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and ToFEI implementation manual issued by the Ministry of Education."
Krishnagiri District Health Officer Dr G Ramesh Kumar told TNIE, "Schools and colleges were asked to follow the government orders. Apart from this, the health department is also raising awareness through health staff about the importance of tobacco-free educational institutions, with the support of the police in all blocks in the district."
Health department sources said, "Since 2023, around 6,400 cases were filed under section 4 of COTPA and fines to the tune of `8.16 lakh were collected. Similarly, under section 6 (a), 803 cases were filed and `1.80 lakh was collected and under section 6 (b), 1,826 cases were filed and `3.68 lakh was collected."
Krishnagiri Chief Education Officer (in-charge) A Muniraj told TNIE, "There are 2,064 private and government schools in the district, of which around 1,700 are government schools. ToFEI certificate may be obtained by high and higher secondary schools.
Anti-drug clubs are functioning at 460 private and government high and higher secondary schools, where anti-drug awareness activities are conducted twice a week, on Monday and Friday. The activities and clubs will be extended to middle schools. For demarcation of the yellow line, schools will be urged to follow the instructions."