Delhi schools join battle against tobacco

New Delhi: Private schools in Delhi Friday joined hands with a
non-profit organization to declare their campus "tobacco-free" before
the World No-Tobacco Day to be observed on May 31.

The Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY)
had approached schools with a set of guidelines adopted by the Central
Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to craft a policy for tobacco-free
school premises.

Schools that joined the move include Tagore International School in
Vasant Vihar, Indraprastha World School in Paschim Vihar, Evergreen
Public School in Vasundhara Enclave and Salwan Public School
(Afternoon) in Old Rajendar Nagar, among others.

After a public interest litigation (PIL) mentioned that tobacco is
being sold within the prohibited area of the premises around schools
in Delhi, directives were issued to Delhi Police to take steps so that
the sales of tobacco products is stopped in prohibited areas and
ensure that the ban is effectively implemented.

Deepti Singh, legal officer of HRIDAY, said, "We have been working
with over 300 schools in Delhi, both government and private, for past
12 years. Efforts have been made time to time to educate the students,
teachers and parents about the menace of tobacco and importance of a
tobacco-free institution."

The guidelines include steps such as prohibiting sale of tobacco
products inside the school premises or within a radius of 100 yards
from educational institutions, displaying mandatory signs on the main
gate and on boundary walls and banning smoking or chewing of tobacco
or tobacco products inside the campus by all.

Madhulika Sen, principal of Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar,
said, "The students and teachers have taken on the responsibility of
making the school and neighborhood free of tobacco." IANS