A museum to showcase the health effects of substance abuse on human body has been set up at the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Research Institute here. 

The museum featuring live specimen of human organs that brings out the pathological changes caused by substance abuse was unveiled as part of the initiatives of the State Tobacco Control Cell under the Health Department on Tuesday. The Cell has launched several initiatives to make educational institutions in Puducherry free from drugs, a release said.

Director of Health Sevvel unveiled a human model at the museum to highlight the damages that substance abuse could cause to various organs. Mr. Sevvel emphasised the need to make educational institutions free of tobacco and narcotics.

He also presented ToFEI (Tobacco Free Educational Institutions) certificates to encourage schools and colleges enforce tobacco control guidelines. Director of Social Welfare P. Ragini, Director of IGMCRI Udayashankar, State Nodal Officer of the National Tobacco Control Programme Venkatesh and State Consultant for NTCP R. Suriya Kumar were present, the release said.

The initiatives were being taken up in collaboration with District Collectorate of Puducherry, the Directorate of Social Welfare, and the Department of Community Medicine at IGMCRI, the release said.