Ten schools issued tobacco-free certificates

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 31: Under the aegis of Kamrup (M) District and in association with the district administration, the District Tobacco Control Cell observed the World No Tobacco Day today at the auditorium of Srimanta Sankardeva Kalashetra in the city.

East Guwahati MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Kamrup(M) DC M Angamuthu, BBCI Director Dr. Amol Kataky, District Development Officer Barli Sarma and others were present on the occasion.

Angamuthu said: “Tobacco is promoted by a big lobby. When the mece is tackled in one form, it soon takes other forms to get the business going. Tobacco is not good for society as it affects a person directly.  The combat against tobacco is not of the government alone. The general public has to play an active role in fighting the mece. The simple logic is if the public doesn’t consume tobacco how come the business runs? Today we’ve given tobacco-free certificates to ten schools after a survey. We’re going to issue such certificates to more schools next year. We’re carrying out a drive to control tobacco use and sale. Fines worth over Rs 7 lakh has been collected from erring people. ”

MLA Bhattacharya said: “Tobacco is alien to Indian culture. This culture was brought to India by the British for their material gains through tobacco trade. We need to stay away from such materials. The use of tobacco of has fallen in Assam. However, school and college students comprise the vulnerable section. It’s high time the student community was made aware of the ill effects of tobacco so as not to let them be addicted to the mece.”

Nine of the ten schools which were given tobacco-free certificates today are Pub-Dimoria High School at Khetri, Dimoria High School, Satya Sai High School at Khetri, Sankerdev Vidyaniketan, Khetri Girls High School, Khetri High School, Guwahati Refinery High School at Noonmati, Kamakhya High School and Dakshin Guwahati High School.