“It is health that is real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver.” — Mahatma Gandhi

On 13 July 2026, the senior students of Vandana International School, Sector 10, Dwarka, gathered in our auditorium for a conversation that mattered rather more than most.

The occasion was an Awareness Session on the National Tobacco Control Programme, held to help our students understand what tobacco does to the human body, why so many young people begin using it, and how to become — in the words of the session — young ambassadors for a healthier future.

Learning from a Medical Expert

The session was led by Dr. (Prof.) Virender Kumar Gehlawat, who guided students through the harmful effects of tobacco and the importance of making informed lifestyle decisions.

Rather than lecturing or moralising, Dr. Gehlawat spoke to our students as young adults capable of weighing evidence and reaching their own conclusions. The result was an unusually attentive auditorium and a steady stream of raised hands.

Understanding the National Tobacco Control Programme

Many students — and many parents — have not encountered the programme by name, so the session began there.

The National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) is run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Under it, the Ministry has issued Tobacco Free Educational Institution (ToFEI) Guidelines specifically to protect minors and young people from tobacco and e-cigarette use, and the Ministry of Education’s Department of School Education and Literacy released a ToFEI Implementation Manual for schools on World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2024. In September 2024, both Ministries issued a joint advisory to all States and Union Territories urging rigorous implementation.

The scale of the problem explains the urgency. Tobacco use is among the leading causes of preventable death in India, accounting for roughly 1.35 million deaths every year, and India is the world’s second largest consumer and producer of tobacco. Most sobering for a school audience: the Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2019 found that 8.5% of school students aged 13 to 15 were already consuming tobacco in some form.

Those are not distant statistics. They describe children the same age as the students sitting in our auditorium.

Why Do Teenagers Use Tobacco?

The most engaging portion of the session tackled this question directly, and the honesty of it is what made it land. The reasons that draw young people towards tobacco are rarely about tobacco at all:

• Peer pressure and the wish to belong to a group.
• Curiosity and the appeal of something forbidden.
• Imitation of older siblings, adults or on-screen figures.
• Stress and academic pressure, and the mistaken belief that tobacco relieves either.
• Misinformation — particularly the widespread notion that flavoured or “light” products, hookah, or e-cigarettes are somehow harmless.

Naming these openly gives a young person something valuable: the ability to recognise the pressure in the moment it arrives, and to see it for what it is.

What Tobacco Actually Does

Students were taken through the effects of tobacco use on physical health, mental well-being and quality of life — the damage to lungs, heart and oral health, the mechanics of nicotine dependence and how quickly it forms in an adolescent brain, and the long-term costs to fitness, appearance, concentration and finances.

An important myth was addressed head-on: that smokeless forms such as gutka and khaini, or newer products such as e-cigarettes and vapes, are safer alternatives. They are not. It is worth noting that electronic cigarettes are banned in India, and the ToFEI guidelines explicitly cover them.

What the Law Says

Students also learnt that they are protected by law, not merely by advice. Under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, the sale of tobacco products to minors is prohibited, as is the sale of tobacco within 100 yards of any educational institution.

Under the ToFEI framework, schools are expected to display “Tobacco Free Area” and “Tobacco Free Educational Institution” signage, keep premises entirely free of any evidence of tobacco use, display awareness material, nominate Tobacco Monitors, and conduct at least one tobacco control activity every six months — a requirement this session helps our school fulfil.

A Pledge for a Healthier Future

The session closed with our students taking a pledge to promote healthy habits and to contribute to a tobacco-free society.

A pledge is easy to make and easy to forget, so it is worth saying what we hope it becomes: not a promise recited in an auditorium, but a small measure of courage on the day a friend offers something and says everyone is doing it. Our students left better equipped for exactly that moment.

A Note for Parents

Adolescence is when most lifelong tobacco habits begin, and a school session is only one part of the defence. We would encourage parents to:

• Talk openly rather than warn sternly. Young people disengage from lectures and respond to conversations.
• Know the products. Vapes and flavoured pouches are often designed to look harmless and are easily mistaken for stationery or sweets.
• Model the behaviour. A child’s strongest predictor of tobacco use is what they see at home.
• Watch for stress, not just symptoms. Academic and social pressure are frequently the doorway.
• Seek help early. India’s National Tobacco Quitline can be reached on 1800-11-2356, and cessation support is available through government health facilities.

Our Commitment to Student Well-being

At Vandana International School, we believe that academic achievement means little without health to enjoy it. This session reflects our ongoing commitment to health education, preventive awareness and student well-being, and our conviction that informed students make better choices than merely obedient ones.

Our sincere thanks to Dr. (Prof.) Virender Kumar Gehlawat for a frank and valuable session, and to our students for the seriousness with which they engaged.

Because the healthiest decision most of them will ever make is the one they never start.

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