Image credit: ANI
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday launched a digital platform to monitor compliance with tobacco-free norms in schools and colleges and unveiled a new standard operating procedure for collection and testing of tobacco product samples, strengthening efforts to curb tobacco and nicotine addiction among young people.The pilot version of the Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) Application was launched by Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava during a national event organised under the National Tobacco Control Programme in the run-up to World No Tobacco Day, observed annually on May 31.The digital platform has been designed to facilitate self-assessment and reporting by educational institutions, monitor compliance with tobacco-free campus guidelines and support implementation of mandatory tobacco-control signages.The pilot phase will be implemented in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Meghalaya to assess operational feasibility and strengthen reporting systems before a wider rollout across the country.It will also help enforce the prohibition on sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions and promote awareness and sensitisation activities among students and teachers.Officials said the application is expected to strengthen accountability and create healthier, tobacco-free environments for children and adolescents through standardised monitoring, reporting and compliance assessment mechanisms. On the occasion, the health ministry also released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Sample Collection of Tobacco Products, aimed at strengthening surveillance, regulatory compliance and quality assurance related to tobacco products.The SOP lays down standardised procedures for collection, handling, storage, transportation and documentation of tobacco product samples to ensure consistency and reliability in testing processes.Addressing the gathering, Srivastava said this year’s World No Tobacco Day theme, “Unmasking the Appeal – Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction,” was particularly relevant in the context of protecting young people from the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine use.She noted that tobacco and nicotine products are increasingly marketed through attractive flavours, packaging, surrogate advertising and digital media content that can make them appear appealing to young users.The Health Secretary said the two initiatives reflect important pillars of the government’s strategy to protect present and future generations from the health, social, economic and environmental consequences of tobacco and nicotine addiction.Health experts say preventing tobacco use among adolescents remains critical, as most tobacco users initiate the habit during their teenage years. They note that stronger enforcement of tobacco-control measures in educational institutions can help reduce early exposure and addiction.
