On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, Resource Centre for Primary Health Care is declaring 540 schools from 54 districts as ‘tobacco free schools’.

Although anti-tobacco act has banned selling of tobacco within 100 metres of school areas, it has rarely been implemented even after its endorsement, said Manju Shree Maharjan, focal person for the programme at RECPHEC. She said the centre is working to make students aware of harmful effects of tobacco through the programme.

The centre will select five students from each school and brief them about harmful effects of tobacco so that these students teach other students in their school. Maharjan said the campaign will help in effective implementation of the anti-tobacco act. Endorsed two years ago, the act has banned advertisements and publicity campaigns of tobacco products in any media and gathering. It has also banned smoking tobacco in public places, workplaces and public vehicles.

According to the act, individuals and firms breaching the rules would be slapped with a fine of Rs 100 to 100,000 depending on the nature of violations. The act has also made mandatory to allocate 75 per cent of the space on cigarette packets or wrappers for pictorial health warning. Only license holders are allowed to sell tobacco, the act states, adding banning its sale to children under 18 years of age and pregnant women.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), nearly three in four children aged between 13 and 15 years are exposed to pro-cigarette advertisements on billboards and pro-tobacco messages at sports and other events. Seven in 10 students saw cigarette brand names when watching sports events on television.

It said advertisements have influenced them somehow to start smoking. Researches show that one in 10 students had an object featuring a cigarette brand logo and one in 10 students had been offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company. WHO is urging countries to ban tobacco advertisements, promotion and sponsorship.

It is also appealing for a stronger legislation to prevent tobacco-related deaths. It is estimated that nearly 1.3 million people die of tobacco-related illnesses every year in the South-East Asia region.

source: the himalayan times,30 may 2013