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Students to take Oath Against the Use of Betel Nut Or Tobacco: Assam Schools
Government schools across Assam will make around 45 lakh children take an oath not to use betel nut or tobacco.
Assam’s government schools will witness around 45 lakh students take an oath today on not using betel nut or tobacco. The oath will be taken under the 'Pledge for Life' initiative of the department of education again on December 14, 2018.
As per the instructions from the department of Education, the oath reads: "I pledge not to use betel nut or tobacco in any form, including smoking cigarettes, bidis, etc, or chewing tobacco as gutka, etc., for the rest of my life and also encourage my family and friends not to do so."
"Assam has more than 45 lakh students in 50,131 Government schools. We want children to have a healthy life and are protected from the tobacco epidemic," it further said.
Amongst the many organisers associated with this initiative, the Sambandh Health Foundation (SHF) has developed an android-based app 'Pledge for Life'. Further, the schools will sensitise students through a video on how tobacco affects one's life and family.
Schools are required to upload photographs of the event along with the number of students who took the oath on the app.
Sanjay Seth, Trustee & Head Tobacco Control of SHF, said “The Pledge for Life campaign will create an atmosphere among students that tobacco is the most 'uncool thing' to consume. We applaud the education department of Assam in taking such a big step to protect children's health."
“Tobacco kills more than 13.5 lakh people each year in India and nearly half of all above 15 years in Assam use tobacco, compared to 28.6 per cent across the country.” he added.
Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute & Voice of Tobacco Victims (VoTV) patron Dr Ashok Das said, "The number of cancer cases is on rise and the sad part is that now young people are being diagnosed with cancers. If we eliminate tobacco, we can prevent 50% of all cancers. 90% of oral cancers, lung can cersare caused by tobacco."
The release stated ‘Assam has more than one crore tobacco users of which 13.3 lakh are cigarette users, 18.8 lacs are bidi users and 91 lakh take smokeless tobacco, as per the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2017.’
Image Courtesy: AlArabiyaEnglish