Advertisements of various tobacco products are very common in all forms of media including the print media, television, and the roadside hoardings and banners. This exposes young minds and attracts them to tobacco products.
Peer pressure is an important determining factor for initiation of tobacco use among children and adolescents. The rate of smoking among teenagers that have three or more friends who smoke is 10 times higher than those that reported none of their friends smoke.
Tobacco products are socially sanctioned and are freely available in every nook and corner throughout the country. Laws are seldom followed and tobacco products are often sold to minors; many times within short distances of schools and colleges.
Children and adolescents facing poor school performance, truancy, low aspiration for future success, and school dropouts have been found to be associated with smoking at an early age.
Tobacco use by parents or an elder sibling increases the likelihood that a child begins smoking. In rural India, incidence of tobacco consumption is 38% as compared to 24% in urban India.
Schools are in a uniquely powerful position to play a major role in reducing the serious problem of smoking and other tobacco use by children and adolescents.
Our work with schools makes them sites for unbound change, where they act as a gateway to better health and actualise a tobacco-free environment for students.
Schools are critical sites where a strong no tobacco movement can originate. With the help of young students and determined teachers inspired to create change, we go about fulfilling our dream of a tobacco-free India.
Baby steps make a large impact
How a small girl in Yavatmal made big difference to her community
We drive our efforts towards capacity building of local stakeholders (teachers, anganwadi sevikas, public health workers, etc.).
Here’s the story of Mhasala, a pastoral taluka in the rugged Sahyadri hills, its beauty concealing the hard lives of its residents. A large part of the population consumed tobacco until the Block Education Officer Ms. Vijaya Talkute decided to do something about it.
At a far-off location like Farakka, West Bengal, almost at the border of Bangladesh, illiteracy is very high. Villagers bind bidis for a living. Making a connection with locals was a huge challenge due to the language barrier. A local folk singing group conveyed the anti-tobacco message in Bangla. This became a bit hit with the locals as they had no other source of entertainment.
I am delighted that Salaam Mumbai Foundation’s efforts have made Yavatmal the first tobacco- free school district in India.
Yavatmal, Maharashtra
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You have the opportunity to impact the lives of school going children and families affected by the ill-effects of tobacco. Till date, we have changed the lives of over 1.2 crore children in 6 states of India. It’s through your participation that we create such powerful change.
Help us with time, expertise and connect with the network.
