| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2022 | Volume
: 7
| Issue : 3 | Page : 109-114 |
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An observational study of compliance with tobacco-free school guidelines in Udupi district, Karnataka (India)
Gaurang P Nazar1, Shalini Bassi1, Nishigandha Joshi2, Muralidhar M Kulkarni3, Veena G Kamath3, Rohith Bhagawath3, John Britton4, Monika Arora1
1 HRIDAY, New Delhi; Health Promotion Division, Public Health Foundation of India, Gurugram, Haryana, India
2 HRIDAY, New Delhi, India
3 Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
4 UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Correspondence Address:
Ms. Shalini Bassi
Health Promotion Division, Public Health Foundation of India, Plot No. 47, Sector 44, Gurgaon - 122 002, Haryana
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jncd.jncd_21_22
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Background: National tobacco-free school guidelines were introduced in India in 2009. We assessed compliance with these guidelines across both government, government-aided, and private schools in Udupi district of Karnataka state in India.
Methods: We visited 915 upper primary and high schools across Udupi district and used a standardized checklist for visual inspection of the school environment and interviews with a school representative to ascertain compliance with guidelines (display of a tobacco-free school/institution board, presence of no smoking signage, no tobacco sale within 100 yards, presence of a Tobacco Control Committee, integration of tobacco control activities into the school health program, and availability of a copy of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act).
Results: A tobacco-free school board was displayed at the main entrance of 73% of schools, and there was no evidence of tobacco products on sale within 100 yards of 96% of schools. However, only 5% of the schools reported having the Committee; 4% reported having a copy of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 with the school, and no smoking signage was observed in < 1%. Integration of tobacco control activities into the school health program was reported in 91% of schools.
Conclusions: Compliance with tobacco-free school guidelines in Udupi was far from complete, indicating the need for enhanced implementation and monitoring.
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