CBSE against tobacco

March 15, 2013, 12:00 am


Going beyond academics, the CBSE is launching initiatives to shape the lives of students and make them responsible citizens of tomorrow.

As part of this the premier academic body is now driving home the twin messages of conserving energy and abjuring tobacco.

The CBSE is reminding students that India is the second largest consumer of tobacco products in the world. It is estimated that 14 per cent of our children in the age group of 13-15 years consume tobacco in some form or the other.

The WHO expects tobacco-related deaths to rise to 10 million a year by 2030, with 70% of these deaths occurring in developing countries. Hence the CBSE is now advising schools to let students in the age group of 12-16 take a pledge (see box) in a special �anti-tobacco assembly� not to use tobacco products.

Students are being taught that there are 4,000 different chemicals in a cigarette. Hazardous chemicals like ammonia, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, methanol, tar, acetone, arsenic and cyanide, butane, cadmium, nicotine and DDT and tobacco, are all rolled into a cigarette.

Schools have also been asked to create awareness among students about Earth Hour-2013 which seeks to spread the message of energy conservation.

With growing concerns about global warming, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) organises Earth Hour which calls everybody to switch off all lights and electrical devices for an hour, on the scheduled day and time.

Earth Hour 2013 is slated for Saturday, March 23, from 8:30 - 9:30 pm at participants’ respective local time.

Schools have been asked to share the information with students and parents and advise them to be a part of it.