Kicking off the campaign for “World No Tobacco Day”, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab here on Tuesday launched an awareness & enforcement drive on the first day of the World No Tobacco week. A meeting under the Chairpersonship of Ms. Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Punjab was held for effective implementation of Anti-Tobacco Law & the focus was onSection 7 of COTPA (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act)– 85% specified health warning on tobacco product packs. The meeting was attended by members of District Level Coordination Committee and Permanent State and District Level Task Force of SAS Nagar and SBS Nagar. She released the Compliance studies done by School of Public Health, PGI Chandigarh, a compilation booklet of notifications, circularsand the IEC material to be used in Punjab to spread awareness about tobacco control. Fivedistricts namely Jalandhar, Patiala, Sangrur, Gurdaspur & Roopnagar with overall good compliance of all sections of Cigarette & Other Tobacco Products Act 2003 were honored by Mrs. Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary, Health.
She further said that the notification of larger pictorial health warnings carries tremendous importance. It will have positive behavioural change in current tobacco users. A larger pictorial warning on tobacco products are the most cost effective strategy to prevent youngsters from initiating the use and provoke current users to quit the habit. It has been already authenticated by PGI study in Punjab that more that 90% of the current tobacco users noticed pictorial health warnings on packs. Out of these more that 60% thought of quitting smoking after seeing the health warning.Sh. Hussan Lal, Commissioner, Food & Drug Administration said that a coordinated effort from all stakeholders departments is the essence of controlling the menace of tobacco and nicotine. He said it is the responsibility of every stakeholder department especially Police, Excise & Taxation, Legal Metrology, Local Govt. & Education Department etc. and civil society which are members of the State & District Level Coordination Committees to create awareness about hazards of tobacco and implement the anti-tobacco/nicotine laws effectively.
Dr. H S Bali, Director Health &Family Welfare, Punjab said that, Considering the prevalence of tobacco use especially amongst children and youth of this country and the burden on the public exchequer to treat tobacco related illness, it is important to control this menace. There is an urgent need to curb any activity that may result in promotion of its use and any effort that may undermine or contravene laws such as Cigarettes and other tobacco products Act (COTPA), 2003 or Legal Metrology Act 2015 enacted specifically to discourage tobacco use.Dr. Dharampal, Joint Commissioner, Food & Drug Administration reiterated that sale of loose Cigarettes/tobacco & Flavored or Scented chewable tobacco products were completely banned in Punjab under Food Safety Act. Food Safety Officers are supposed to implement it strictly. He added that there are many poisonous chemicals in tobacco due to which about 3000 people are killed daily in India.
So it is very important to curb this menace.Sh. Pradeep Mattu, Joint Commissioner, Drug Administration told that E-Cigarette have been declared as un-approved and violators are being booked under Drug & Cosmetics Act. Punjab is the first State in country in which violators have been convicted. Dr. Rakesh Gupta, State Program Officer, Tobacco Control Cell told that they are celebrating "No tobacco Week" to commemorate World No Tobacco Day that falls on 31st May. Various activities across Punjab will be organised in this week. "Awareness drives to be organized in every District, he added.He further said that an awareness and enforcement drive in District SAS Nagar was also conducted. All members of the District level Task Force including officials from Health, Food & Drug Administration, Police, Excise, Education, Local Govt. Departments etc. played an active role. About 25 challans were issued under Section 4 & 6 and flavoured/scented tobacco was seized. Feedback is coming from all the districts about the awareness & challaning drives being conducted all over Punjab.