MAPUSA
Despite the fear of the third wave and the ongoing Covid restrictions, the District Level Coordination Committee for Tobacco Control (DLCC), North Goa has set an ambitious goal of declaring all schools within its jurisdiction tobacco-free before May 31, 2022.
Incidentally, May 31 is World No Tobacco Day.
The DLCC has already set the ball rolling by contacting various schools and institutional heads to explain the guidelines for the Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI).
There are a total of 810 educational institutions in North Goa which includes primary and high schools, higher secondary schools, technical schools, special schools and colleges.
“We started training the headmasters and teachers of various schools through physical mode and online from February this year. After the training, we ensure that all the schools implement these guidelines and revert with the self-evaluation scorecard,” said Dr Shaheen Saiyed, Member Secretary of the DLCC.
As per ToFEI guidelines, the educational institutes have to display signage, designate tobacco monitors and ensure no sale of tobacco within 100 yards from the outside boundary of the institute.
The institutes should also ensure that there are no tobacco products available within the premises, take up tobacco control activities and further ensure that they take no sponsorship of any tobacco company.
“We have so far covered 250 schools in these eight months. After the training, we give a timeline to the schools by which time they have to implement the guidelines and send us the compliance of implementation,” Dr Saiyed informed.
She said many schools have sent compliance and achieved the benchmark for the implementation of the guidelines and therefore eligible for the tobacco-free certificates.
“Our target is to cover all 810 schools of North Goa by May 1, 2022,” she said.
Initially, the DLCC faced coordination hiccups in a bid to contact the school heads to conduct the training programme.
“It was difficult for us to reach out to every school. The Assistant District Educational Inspectors (ADEI) from each taluka was roped in to coordinate with the schools. We first coordinate with the ADEIs and they in turn coordinate with the schools,” Dr Saiyed said.
