Ampati, May 30: 255 schools conducted rallies in the South West Garo Hills district while 7,628 students collected 16,532 signatures, in the month-long campaign against tobacco culminating with the World No Tobacco Day 2023.
With last year’s success of World No Tobacco Day ‘22 campaign which made its impact in every corner of Meghalaya, this year, the State decided to intervene and ensured children’s active participation across the state. This year’s theme being ‘My Meghalaya, Tobacco-free Meghalaya’, audio visuals were produced which highlighted the rivers, villages, forests, and the beauty of Meghalaya being destroyed due to tobacco consumption.
World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed on 31st May every year, globally, serving as a powerful reminder that each one of us need to fight against tobacco and protect our citizens, especially children. NTCP Meghalaya and the Education Department in collaboration with Sambandh Health Foundation ran a successful WNTD campaign this year, which required every school to perform two activities viz., rally against tobacco and signature campaign. In the State, more than 4.9 lac students from more than 8,000 schools participated in these activities. Research studies indicate that when children participate in anti-tobacco activities, they are more likely to avoid tobacco use.
Numerous activities and competitions were organized for schools across the district under four categories, viz., primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary, the winners of which were awarded with certificates and prizes. To judge these competitions, Block Award Committees were set up, which was constituted by an official of the Education Department, parents, village headmen, among others. The block level winners would compete at district level and the district level winners would compete at state level. In South West Garo Hills, Morning Flower LP School emerged as winners in Primary category, Kasturba Gandhi Balika VIdyalaya in Upper Primary, Joyfar Secondary School in Secondary category and Kalaipara Secondary School became winners in Higher Secondary category.
Congratulating the winners and expressing his happiness over the enthusiasm shown by the Nodal Officer, BMCs, BRPs, CRCs, Principals and Teachers, the Deputy Commissioner, South West Garo Hills, RP Marak stated that the World No Tobacco Day ’23 campaign is a great initiative in order to build a healthy generation.
Jennyfer J. Synrem, Department of Education, Government of Meghalaya, shared that the Departments of Health & Education, Government of Meghalaya has been implementing the Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) program since 2021 in collaboration with Sambandh Health Foundation (a Gurugram-based NGO). She also stated that Meghalaya has won the prestigious World Health Organization Award 2023 for the Southeast Asia Region for World No Tobacco Day activities.
Dr Lana. L Nongbri, State Nodal Officer, NHM, said, “Tobacco not only kills its best customers, but also destroys our environment. This is a product that is consumed by 47% adults (aged 15+) in our State. It kills 8,000 people in Meghalaya every year. We are ensuring that we implement one of the most effective strategies, i.e., ToFEI to reduce the prevalence in the State.”
