Mumbai: The State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research, also known as Balbharti, has introduced a new topic in the curriculum that deals with the extent of tobacco consumption in the State as well as its effects.
Balbharti has undertaken the initiative along with the Salaam Mumbai Foundation, a Mumbai-based non governmental organisation, which has been working for the past 12 years in creating a tobacco-free environment for school students. The Foundation has reached out to 18,000 schools in the State so far with training programmes and activities for school children, and has also been training teachers to educate their students about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption.
“There are more than 60 lakh students under the State board and we attempt to educate them and make them aware about important matters concerning our society. Now that tobacco consumption is a part of their curriculum, children will pay more attention to the issue,” said Rajiv Patole, Special Officer of the Science Department of Balbharti.
Under a chapter titled ‘Social Health’, Balbharti has focused on informing students about the effects of tobacco on the environment, as well as its effects on human heath, including cancer and respiratory diseases. The chapter has been introduced in the curriculum from Class V to Class X, officials said.
“India has the most number of oral cancer patients in the world. Every day, around 5,000 children under the age of 16 taste tobacco for the first time. We have been working in 30 districts of the State where we train teachers to educate children about this and also conduct rallies and activities in schools to actively involve children in our campaign,” Deepak Patil, Assistant General Manager of Salaam Mumbai Foundation said.
Vice President Rajashree Kadam of the foundation added, “The main reason for increased consumption of tobacco is the myths related to it, like tobacco helping to keep teeth clean. Another reason for children getting addicted to it is easy access. Children are unaware of the harmful effects of tobacco and fall prey to its addiction by imitating the adults around them.”
