SMATS conducted a study of 2300 students across the country to know about the state of tobacco-control in these schools. These are the findings:

   

1. 93% of the students reported that their schools close for summer vacations sometimes in April-May and reopen by June-July.
2. Those reporting schools open during this period mainly belonged to hilly and cold regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh etc.
3. Some of the senior classes reported that their schools close on the 1st of June still no activity related to WNTD is carried out.
4. Only 3% of the students stated that WNTD activity was carried out in their schools on 31st of May.
5. About 11% of the students reported that any activity mainly related to the ‘no-tobacco theme’ was ever carried out their schools/colleges.
6. 79% responded in ‘yes’ when asked if they would like to be a part of a march/ rally against tobacco.
7. About 82% could identify December 1 as World AIDS Day correctly from a Multiple Response Question while only 19% could identify 31st of May as the World No-Tobacco Day.
8. Only about 23% reported that they have been taught about the harms of tobacco in their classroom.
9. About 16% of the students stated that they  see their teachers using tobacco in the school campus ‘often’ while 45% responded as ‘sometimes’ and 39% as  ‘never.’

These findings were presented at National Conference on Tobacco or Health, Mumbai, 2010. Title of the paper- World No-Tobacco Day- Two decades of missed opportunity in the India Sub-continent.