27-05-2025
A yellow line campaign to keep tobacco away from the vicinity of educational institutions
Using a thick yellow line, all educational institutions should demarcate a 100 yard or 300 feet tobacco-free zone around the institution and ensure no sale of tobacco products. This should be completed within 30 days from May 31, which is observed as World No Tobacco Day, in all districts.
This comes in line with the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003 that prohibits the selling of tobacco products within 100 yards of any educational institution.
This year, World No Tobacco Day is being observed on the theme of 'Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products'.
In line with this, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, in its communication to District Health Officers, said as per the Revised Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) guidelines issued by Union Health Ministry and ToFEI implementation manual issued by the Union Education Ministry, all heads of educational institutions (schools / colleges / other educational institutions) should mark 100 yard or 300 feet area around the institution by a thick yellow line by involving local body authorities and Parents Teachers Association (concerned educational institutions). They should ensure that there is no tobacco sale within the yellow line.
An enforcement team comprising health / police / local authorities will be formed and a block-level intensified enforcement drive will be conducted on May 30, June 3 and June 6 under COTPA with Information Education and Communication initiatives. The enforcement team will remove all direct / indirect advertisement of tobacco products if found during the drive.
