NEW DELHI: Teachers from leading schools across India on Children’s Day wrote to the ministry of education to raise awareness about the adverse effects of electronic cigarettes in all forms and educate teachers, parents and children about the recent clarifications in law which ban manufacture, sale and even possession of these devices.
The teachers expressed their concern over tobacco companies disseminating misleading information that portrays new-age e-cigarettes as either harmless or less harmful in comparison to smoking traditional cigarettes.
Claiming that companies are aggressively marketing products like vaping, heat-not-burn devices, and e-hookahs in India and schools have become the hunting ground for these marketers “who are using below the radar methods to popularize such products in a systemic manner …” the teachers wrote to union education minister stating, “If our children fall into the trap of the marketing tactics … it will seriously hinder their ability to reach their full potential as responsible citizens. Benign form of e-cigarettes … the initial step towards addiction and can become a gateway to more dangerous forms of substance abuse, such as heroin and cocaine.”
The teachers are of the view that proliferation of e-cigarettes among schools will not only pose health risks, but also impact the educational environment in our schools as well as impede cognitive development of students.
Citing a survey across schools in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru which revealed that 89% of children between the ages of 14 to 17 are unaware of the harmful effects associated with ‘vaping’ and similar electronic devices, the teachers said that “the problem also stems from the fact that the level of awareness about the dangers of vaping is shockingly low in the country.”
The ‘Teachers Against Vaping’ suggested to the education ministry to implement a comprehensive nationwide awareness programme in educational institutions and equip educators with the tools to provide accurate information and cultivate a culture that encourages students to reject harmful practices.
In the US increased use of vaping has resulted in an epidemic. In 2019, it grappled with the e-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (Evali) outbreak which resulted in the hospitalization of thousands of Americans, especially teenagers and young adults, causing enduring lung damage and pulmonary dysfunction, with unfortunate incidents of fatalities.
The teachers expressed their concern over tobacco companies disseminating misleading information that portrays new-age e-cigarettes as either harmless or less harmful in comparison to smoking traditional cigarettes.
Claiming that companies are aggressively marketing products like vaping, heat-not-burn devices, and e-hookahs in India and schools have become the hunting ground for these marketers “who are using below the radar methods to popularize such products in a systemic manner …” the teachers wrote to union education minister stating, “If our children fall into the trap of the marketing tactics … it will seriously hinder their ability to reach their full potential as responsible citizens. Benign form of e-cigarettes … the initial step towards addiction and can become a gateway to more dangerous forms of substance abuse, such as heroin and cocaine.”
The teachers are of the view that proliferation of e-cigarettes among schools will not only pose health risks, but also impact the educational environment in our schools as well as impede cognitive development of students.
Citing a survey across schools in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru which revealed that 89% of children between the ages of 14 to 17 are unaware of the harmful effects associated with ‘vaping’ and similar electronic devices, the teachers said that “the problem also stems from the fact that the level of awareness about the dangers of vaping is shockingly low in the country.”
The ‘Teachers Against Vaping’ suggested to the education ministry to implement a comprehensive nationwide awareness programme in educational institutions and equip educators with the tools to provide accurate information and cultivate a culture that encourages students to reject harmful practices.
In the US increased use of vaping has resulted in an epidemic. In 2019, it grappled with the e-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (Evali) outbreak which resulted in the hospitalization of thousands of Americans, especially teenagers and young adults, causing enduring lung damage and pulmonary dysfunction, with unfortunate incidents of fatalities.
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