CHANDIGARH: Concerned over the increasing tendency among the students to take to tobacco
products, colleges and universities in Haryana will be smoke-free from January 26. The education
department has joined the health department to nip the evil in the bud.
The official spokes person said that the Director General of Higher Education, Haryana, has
directed all the state universities and private in Haryana along with all the government, government
aided and self-finance colleges to ensure that their educational institutions became tobacco-free by
January 26, 2021. He has also directed to take necessary steps to ensure smoke-free educational
institutions in future also.
The education department will educate and make the students aware about the ill-effects of
smoking. Besides, various steps will be taken like writing slogans on the premises of the institutes
and appointing nodal officers to caution the students about harms of tobacco consumption. The
heads of institutes were asked to enforce the anti-smoking Act in their respective areas and ensure
that no sales of cigarettes and tobacco products existed within the limit of their institutes.
The official also stated that awareness campaign will be organized by the education and
health departments across the state. The rationale behind the move is to “aware them young.” As
the student community is more vulnerable and prone to this menace, the government has decided
to start this campaign to nip the evil.
It is also stated that there was alarming prevalence of tobacco use among the students. As
many as over 36 per cent children take to smoking before the age of 10; 56 per boys and 32 per cent
girls. Given this scenario, the government jumped into the battle against tobacco is a welcome move
and will definitely given boost to the National Tobacco Control Programme.