A coalition of educators and school administrators from various parts of the country is advocating for a concerted effort to combat misinformation surrounding contemporary tobacco devices, such as e-cigarettes and e-hookahs, with the aim of safeguarding school-age children. Operating under the banner ‘Teachers Against Vaping,’ the group has penned a letter to Dharmendra Pradhan, union education minister, urging the implementation of communication initiatives to disseminate information about the detrimental effects of e-cigarettes in all their forms, according to an official statement.
The group seeks to educate teachers, parents and children about recent legal clarifications that prohibit the manufacturing, sale and possession of these devices. Expressing deep concern, the educators contend that international tobacco corporations, in their quest for new markets, are spreading deceptive information that portrays modern e-cigarettes as either benign or less harmful when compared to traditional cigarette smoking, the statement mentioned.
The surge in the popularity of e-cigarettes, including vaping devices and heat-not-burn tobacco products, among school-age children in India has become a significant cause for alarm. The appeal of sophisticated, technology-based vaping devices and the misinformation claiming their reduced harm pose a considerable threat to the well-being of children, as stated in the letter.
Upasana Mittal, principal, Raghav Global School, Noida, emphasised the urgent need for comprehensive and proactive communication programmes targeting children, parents and educators to impart awareness about the adverse health effects of these products, as per the statement.
Supriti Chauhan, principal, DPS Gautam Budh Nagar, believes that the addiction to vaping and electronic nicotine delivery devices has far-reaching implications for children, extending beyond health concerns and significantly impacting the educational environment in schools. Despite the ban on e-cigarettes in India through the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act in 2019, the educators express concern over the persistence of misinformation, which manipulates the vulnerability of school-going children.
With inputs from PTI.