MoE Launches "Promise To Protect" Campaign For Tobacco-Free India

The Department of School Education and Literacy, under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, unveiled a campaign on Gandhi Jayanti, aimed at curbing tobacco addiction among India's youth. The "Promise to Protect" initiative brought together more than 1,000 school teachers from across the nation in a digital conference where they pledged to safeguard students and maintain tobacco-free school environments.

Statistics from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey-4 (2019) revealed that 38 per cent of cigarette users, 47 per cent of bidi smokers and a shocking 52 per cent of smokeless tobacco consumers in India begin their habit before turning ten years old.

The campaign, in alignment with the Tobacco Free Educational Institutions guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), seeks to raise awareness about the perils of tobacco use and prevent its initiation among the youth.

The digital conference was moderated by television actor and presenter Karanvir Bohra and featured eminent speakers such as Sanjay Kumar, Secretary (School Education), Ministry of Education, Dr Joseph Emmanuel, Director (Academics), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, Head and Neck Cancer Surgeon, Tata Memorial Hospital and Dr Vishal Rao, Group Director, Head & Neck Surgical Oncology, HCG Cancer Centre, Bengaluru.

Over 1 lakh pledges have been taken by school teachers and students so far, with selected teachers sharing poignant personal stories related to tobacco use. They also presented their plans to integrate tobacco control education into the curriculum, emphasising the pivotal role of early education in preventing tobacco initiation.

In his keynote address, Sanjay Kumar stressed the importance of engaging with students on a personal level and motivating them to stay away from addiction.

The conference marked the 153rd Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and reinforced the idea of "Nasha Mukt Bharat" (a drug-free India), aligning with the government's initiative. The campaign was developed in partnership with the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, with 21 civil society organisations joining forces to mobilise teachers, schools and pledges nationwide.