WILLIAMNAGAR:
Together with the rest of Meghalaya, East Garo Hills also observed the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) here in Williamnagar on May 30, with this year’s theme ‘My Meghalaya, Tobacco-free Meghalaya’.
The campaign started in the state on 18 April and culminated on May 31. The NTCP Meghalaya and the Education Department in collaboration with Sambandh Health Foundation had organised a successful WNTD campaign this year which required every school to do two activities, namely, rally against tobacco and signature campaign. In the State, more than 4.9 lac students from more than 8,000 schools participated.
On the occasion, the East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, Vibhor Aggarwal, congratulated the DSEO, DMC and SDSEO saying that the WNTD 2023 campaign is a great initiative to build a healthy generation. He also lauded the Nodal Officer, BMCs, BRPs, CRCs, Principals and Teachers for participating in the campaign with full enthusiasm.
On the day, awards were given to the best schools in a Block, doing both activities, in four categories, namely, primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary. Block Award committees were constituted which included officials from the Education Department, Parents, Village Headmen etc. Block level winners were considered for district level awards by a District Award Committee and district winners competed for State level awards.
From the Department of Education, Government of Meghalaya, Jennyfer J. Synrem informed that the Departments of Health & Education, has been implementing the Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) program since 2021 in collaboration with Sambandh Health Foundation (a Gurugram-based NGO). She also informed that the state has won the prestigious World Health Organization Award 2023 for WNTD activities.
The DSEO of the district informed that 547 schools had done rallies in the district and 26,639 students collected 57,116 signatures.
Dr Lana. L Nongbri, State Nodal Officer, NHM, said that tobacco not only kills its best customers but also destroys our environment. This is a product that is consumed by 47% adults aged 15+ in our State. It kills 8,000 people in Meghalaya every year.
In East Garo Hills the district winners were Rev. Oniram Memorial English School in Primary category, Rongjeng Govt. U.P School in Upper Primary, Ferrando Memorial English School in Secondary category and Green Yard Secondary School in Higher Secondary category.