Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research, popularly known as Bal Bharati, has included a chapter on tobacco control in the Class 10 SSC Science II textbook for the academic year to ensure that youngsters are taught about the harmful health effects of tobacco use at an early age.
The government, along with organisations like Salaam Mumbai Foundation, are working to ensure that children are provided with critical information about the ill effects of tobacco usage while they are still in school. “Tobacco has been affecting the lives of so many people including children and youngsters. It is of utmost importance that they are made aware of the ill-effects from a young age. We want teachers to impart this knowledge to their students and we are very happy to collaborate with organizations like Salaam Mumbai Foundation who have been working tirelessly in the field for so many years,” said Rajiv Patole, Special officer, Science Department, Balbharati.
Earlier, they had taken the initiative to introduce tobacco control and awareness through the science textbook in standards 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10. Children in India are particularly vulnerable to tobacco use. Every 16 seconds, a child in India tries tobacco for the first time. By the time children reach adulthood, one in two men and one in five women become addicted to tobacco. While the numbers pose a worrying picture, the upside is that numerous studies have shown that children who resist tobacco before the age of 18 are likely to remain tobacco free for the rest of their lives. In doing so, the government is also crediting organizations like Salaam Mumbai Foundation for spearheading tobacco control and awareness in Zilla Parishad schools.