State level Nirogi Rajasthan webinar in association with NTCP Rajasthan, Education dept and Salaam Mumbai Foundation on 3rd July 2020.

We are aiming to make all the schools in Rajasthan as Tobacco – free schools in collaboration with NTCP Rajasthan. All the school data regarding the TFS criteria will be collected through the TFS app which will be verified and reviewed based on proper evidence submitted by teachers after which the school will be declared Tobacco – Free School.

Webinar topics and discussion was based on this year’s WNTD theme - Date: 28th May 2020

Key Speakers:

• Dr. K.K. Sharma (Director of Health department, Rajasthan)
• Dr. Dholpuriya - State Nodal Officer NTCP & JD, M&H Department, Rajasthan
• Narendra Singh- State Consultant, NTCP
• Dr. L. Swasticharan- Add. DDG, MOHFW, Govt of India
• Ms. Vineet Gill Munish - WHO India
• State Nodal Officer, Primary & Secondary Education Department, Rajasthan

SMF launched the Salaam Namaste Campaign on 5thSeptember’20 during the Teacher’s Day activity. This activity was inaugurated through a video which had messages from Health Director, Maharashtra, Joint Education Director, Teacher and Student which completed the cycle of appreciating and thanking each other for the support and efforts during this pandemic right by the health department, education department, children and parents. During this program many teachers share their life journey and experience. The health and education department member have appreciated this campaign and have started being more supportive towards SMF.

Customised Salaam Namaste digital card was sent across to individuals – as a token of appreciation.During the teachers Day activity – A section of fun and entertainment was also catered through online platform.

On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday SMF had announced a state level competition across Maharashtra for the students in the category of poems, posters, one act play, song and charoli.

Around 300 entries poured in from across the state and all the entries were based on anti-tobacco messages, tobacco – free school and communities and connect of tobacco with Covid – 19.

A felicitation event was held on 13th Oct’20, where all the winners were felicitated, and the participants were motivated. The chief guest for this event were Mr.Sandeep Pathak (Marathi Actor and Comedian),Dr. Kamala Devi (from SCERT) and Mr. Rajiv Patole (from Balbharati). The chief guest, teachers and students appreciated the efforts taken by SMF during the pandemic for conducting such an event to motivate the students.

An online pledge campaign was held throughout the month of May’22 and the link will be active for the whole year to take the pledge for “Quit tobacco and Save Environment”. This has been taken by our NGO partners and Master trainers' teacher's & Children's across Maharashtra. We have received around 8330.”

On 31st of May’22, an event was organized at Mantralaya the administrative headquarters of the Government of Maharashtra in Mumbai. SMF had developed five videos on various topics related to the tobacco- free healthy life supported by Bajaj Electrical Foundation. Dr. Pradip Vyas (Additional secretary of health) inaugurated all the five videos. Organizations like Salaam Mumbai Foundation, Narotam Sheksaria Foundation (NSF), Nashabandi Mandal, Marathwada Gramin Vikas Sanstha (MGVS), Bombay Electrical Supply and Transport (BEST) had also put up stalls and banners at the event.

Conducted a state level Marathon in association with Narcotics department and Social Justice Department of Maharashtra at Mumbai. Mr. Muthha Ashk Jain ( IAS) and Mr. Amit Ghavate inaugurated the Mumbai Marathon. Narcotics department of Maharashtra thanks to SMF for greater support in Mumbai marathon. Participants: 1250

CHETNA launched campaign named “My Resolution Tobacco Free Navratri” to make schools tobacco free. During the campaign CHETNA developed Navratri theme design for Tobacco Free School criteria and widespread it to all schools from district level office- 692 schools participated

Mhasala in the rugged Sahyadris hills is a pastoral taluka, its beauty concealing the hard lives of its residents. A large part of the population used tobacco until the Block Education Officer Ms. Vijaya Talkute decided to do something about it. During a district-level tobacco control workshop organized by SMF, Ms. Talkute received a copy of Hallabol, a newsletter created by Salaam Mumbai’s children that highlights India’s tobacco laws as well as anti-tobacco activities, ideas and field experiences. The workshop and material empowered Ms. Talkute. Her first step was an anti-tobacco campaign in her office. Determined to root out the menace of tobacco, she drew up an action plan along with her colleagues. She galvanized the entire block, involving teachers, head - masters, cluster co-coordinators, extension officers, villagers and students, and led an aggressive anti-tobacco drive in the block. She inspired the schools to join the fight against tobacco. The movement spread across all the villages of Mhasala, rallying supporters from every home. Eventually, her efforts succeeded in making every school in Mhasala taluka tobacco free. Ms. Vijaya Talkute’s struggle against tobacco set a benchmark in the education sector. Ms. Vijaya Talkute was honoured with the Mahatma Gandhi Byasnmukti Award by the Maharasthtra government for her efforts in making all the schools in Mhasala block of Raigad district tobacco-free.

"Children are the pillars of our society. For them to grow into healthy adults, we must keep our schools tobacco free. Only a teacher is capable of creating an impact on children and that is why SMF began their mission through schools." - Ms. Vijaya Talkute

Young Akansha Shrivas is from Yavatmal, an impoverished Maharashtra village where chewing tobacco was a part of the residents’ daily routines. Households served tobacco to guests. When there wasn’t enough food, some people consumed tobacco, hoping it would dull their hunger pangs.

It was in this complex setting that Akansha decided to take the responsibility of ridding her school of tobacco. After attending three tobacco awareness sessions at school, she spearheaded an anti-tobacco campaign. To begin with, she requested the school principal to instate Rs 200 fine for tobacco consumption within school premises. No one escaped her eye—everyone in the school was asked to refrain from tobacco use. When a teacher’s friend was about to consume tobacco in the school, he was sensitised and asked to respect the right to a tobacco-free environment for children. It was because of local activists like Akansha and local leaders like Dr.Mallinath Kalshetti (Ex-CEO – Yavatmal district) and Dr. Suchita Patekar (District Education Officer – DEO) that Yavatmal went on to become the first tobacco-free schools district in India!

Dindori in Nashik district is surrounded by rolling hills and coconut trees that gently sway in the breeze. But in its streets, there was an unwelcome presence - shacks selling tobacco. Wherever you looked, gutkha packets adorned shop fronts.

31% adults in Maharashtra are tobacco users. Mr. Dattatraya Chaugule, a teacher at Mandakijam School in Dindori, was a part of this statistic. He had fallen under the habit because of peer pressure. He tried to quit tobacco, but relapsed.

This changed when Mr. Chaugule attended a teacher-training workshop conducted by Salaam Mumbai Foundation. The SMF team led the teachers through the 11 criteria of making a school tobacco-free, as devised by CBSE. The participants were shown presentations and films about the menace of tobacco. They also received Hallabol—the SMF newsletter that offers a glimpse into India’s tobacco laws and describes our tobacco control programmes.

For the first time, Mr. Chaugule was exposed to anti-tobacco ideas and experiences. Going through this material, he found himself feeling empowered about changing his tobacco habit. The first thing he did was to quit tobacco entirely after the workshop. But his journey did not end here. He could not forget about the concept of a tobacco-free school. Like a lamp lights another lamp, Mr. Chaugule initiated the tobacco-free movement in his school. Within a few months, Mandakijam School completed the 11 criteria was declared tobacco-free.

Today, there is no tobacco usage inside the school—the teachers are tobacco - free and outsiders are not allowed tobacco either. All the students are aware of the ill effects of tobacco as well as of COTPA and are trying their best to make their homes tobacco-free. On Jan 2, 2017, the students took out an anti-tobacco rally in the village and created awareness of tobacco’s harmful effects amongst the residents. Now, charged by the students, the villagers are inspired to give up tobacco.

The first step Mr. Chaugule took after attending an SMF workshop was to personally quit tobacco. Then he went on to make his entire school tobacco-free.

Yawatmal in Maharashtra is fraught with poverty and resources are scarce. Tobacco consumption was rampant in the district's villages and there was little awareness of tobacco's harmful effects.

Thanks to education officer Dr. Suchita Patekar in collaboration with SMF, more than 5,00,000 students and 7,900 teachers across the districts took an oath to ban tobacco from their district. With their hard work and determination, Yawatmal became the first district in India with tobacco-free schools. Today, 2019 zila parishad schools in Yawatmal district are completely tobacco free.

The Yawatmal mass pledge broke records and is listed in the Limca Book of Records!

It all started with a big bereavement. Arun Tanaji of village Thutra died a painful death due to oral cancer. All the villagers witnessed the pain of Tanaji’s disease and the misery his death inflicted on his family. That is when the village sarpanch Vaman Bhivpure became determined to rid the village of the menace of tobacco.

The sarpanch led the way by shutting down his tobacco shop. Village tais (also known as arogya sakhi) were trained by SMF to spread awareness of the dangers of tobacco use. Soon the movement involved the entire village—anti-tobacco posters, street plays and rallies worked hard to change attitudes. Sale of tobacco was eventually banned altogether, and soon the village became tobacco-free.

Sarpanch Bhivpure ascribes this victory to the villagers. He points out how the youth, women, and vendors in the village were a crucial part of the movement that not only made the village clean and healthy, but also completely tobacco-free. The locals took ownership and that is why the initiative became sustainable. The future generations are safe now, and the villagers are proud.

Today all 750 residents of Thutra are safe from tobacco, making Thutra the first village in the district of Chandrapur to become tobacco-free.

Mr. Abhijeet Raut - Collector - Jalgaon District Started the project in 2008 in Sangli as a ZP CEO. As Collector Jalgaon, put his weight behind the programme across ZP schools ZP schools in Jalgaon District to be declared tabacco-free in March/April 2022 due to his follow up efforts and that of the Education and Health Dept., Jalgaon

44 schools declared the 1st cluster in Katni district, MP, to be tabacco-free At his persistence, DEO, Katni, Mr. Prthivipal Singh attendted his national level Bal Parishad DEO has directed all schools in Katni district to adopt and follow ToFEI guidelines

Nandurbar District taps into the potential of Youth Health Fellow Madhuri Patil Sharing information on daily hygiene practices leads to ash for brushing teeth being replaced with better alternatives Soon a daily bath, cut nails, brushed hair, clean clothes become part of the daily routine Young children now carry on the baton, encouraging their families to follow suit Kitchen gardens are a common feature in many households

Eknath Kumbhar Sir

14 years of dedication and work towards the cause, Eknath Kumbhar Sir has always been part of the mission. This year, he was able to bring about a significant change in Sadoli village by visiting all the shopkeepers who have been selling tobacco in the village and convincing them to discontinue the sale of this harmful product. His efforts has given a tobacco-free environment to more than 5000 villages in Sadoli village.

Shri Rajendra Patil, a master trainer from Sangli district, Valva taluka, has been actively involved in the Tobacco Control Programme since 2015. Through his dedicated efforts, a remarkable 392 schools have been declared tobacco-free, promoting a healthier environment for students.

Recognizing his significant contributions, Shri Rajendra Patil was honoured with the Mahatma Gandhi de-addiction Award by the Maharashtra Government. His commitment and passion have not only impacted schools but also inspired his daughter to take action.