The Education and Health Ministry, today, Saturday, September 21, called on states to effectively implement tobacco-free guidelines in educational institutions with an aim to combat tobacco use among youth.

As reported by IANS, the Secretaries of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have jointly issued an advisory to Chief Secretaries of states "for the rigorous implementation of the Tobacco-Free Educational Institution (ToFEI) manual, in line with the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003" in educational institutions.

This joint advisory underscores the alarming effects of tobacco consumption, particularly on children and adolescents.

As per statistics, more than 5,500 children in India have begun using tobacco every day.

Moreover, 55 per cent of lifelong tobacco users initiated the habit before the age of 20, with many adolescents turning to other addictive substances as a result.

Now, this advisory aims to protect future generations by raising awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use.

Further, the Department of School Education and Literacy has developed and launched the ToFEI Implementation Manual on World No Tobacco Day in collaboration with Socio Economic and Educational Development Society.

The ToFEI manual serves as a key resource for educational institutions to implement these anti-tobacco measures effectively, IANS added.