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Thutra village takes exemplary stance against tobacco addiction

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The village where men, women and even children consumed tobacco has kicked the habit, thanks to Salaam Mumbai Foundation’s efforts
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Thutra village in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra has become a role model for the rest of the state. The village is now smokeless and spit less, with the help of an anti-smoking campaign started and anchored by NGO Salaam Mumbai Foundation (SMF) in 2007.

The NGO said this was nothing less than a miracle, as the village had men, women and even children who were addicted to tobacco. Seeing the success, the NGO is now ready to use the village as an example for Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra.

"When we visited the village in early 2007, several villagers were heavily dependent on tobacco. Chewing tobacco and gutkha and spitting everywhere was common behaviour, apart from smoking in open. Women used to consume masher over evening meetings. It was ordinary for even children to use kharra and other tobacco products," said Deepal Patil, project head, rural Maharashtra, SMF.

The NGO chalked out a meticulous plan, and began conducting sessions for households. "We had interactive sessions with the teachers and health workers of the village. We educated them on the harmful effects of tobacco and the mortality rate it leads to," said Patil, adding that manuals and posters for tobacco-free schools and village were prepared to encourage awareness.

"Spreading door to door awareness against tobacco consumption was our biggest weapon. We used informative mediums like video films, anti-tobacco aarti. Flip charts etc. were also developed and disseminated to teachers and health workers. Health workers started conducting different activities through TV show, rallies, street play etc. This was blended with our meetings with self help groups, anganwadi sevikas, sarpanchs, teachers, school management committees, village level committees, the police, etc.," Patil said.

The NGO said that the first success came through when shopkeepers stopped selling tobacco products despite incurring losses of around Rs 1000 per day, a big sum for the villagers. "Vaman Bhivapure, the vice Sarpanch of this village played a key role in our attempts. He took initiatives to make schools tobacco-free," said Patil.

Talking to dna, Bhivapure said, "First I stopped selling tobacco in my shop. We then got the tobacco sale banned in around 100 yard of school premises implemented stringently. A paan shop beside the school premises was discontinued by shopkeeper."

Bhivapure's proactive move encouraged villagers to join the anti-tobacco campaign. "As a vice sarpanch of the village, he passed a resolution in gram sabha that no one will sell tobacco in the village. We will now use Thutra village example in replicating similar results in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra," said Patil.

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