Govt Launches Implementation Manual Of Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions

New Delhi: The Ministry of Education launched an Implementation Manual of Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) on Friday, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD).

The manual, released by Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL) in collaboration with Socio Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS), has been designed on the WNTD 2024 theme ‘Protecting children from tobacco industry interference’.

The primary aim of the manual is to assist schools in adhering to the ToFEI guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, thereby creating a healthier, tobacco-free environment for students.

The government hopes it will empower all stakeholders to adopt and enforce guidelines that protect students from the dangers of tobacco.

DoSEL Secretary Sanjay Kumar urged all educational institutions to take steps which discourage use of tobacco and safeguard children from being addicted to the use of tobacco by making the educational institutions a tobacco-free zone.

Unveiling the manual, Anandrao V. Patil, Additional Secretary, DoSEL, Ministry of Education, stressed on the importance of protecting children from tobacco — not just as a health imperative but also as a moral obligation.