To further tighten the noose around the neck of offenders who are bent on violating the anti tobacco law, The State Government has adopted a stringent policy by the demarcating 100 yard area around an education institution as a place under yellow line and declaring this area as Tobacco Free Zone. This ambitious ‘Yellow line Campaign’ having all these attributes was today launched by Brahm Mohindra, Health and Family Welfare Minister while kick starting the state specific "Punjab State No Tobacco Day" which was organized at world fame Sukhna Lake at Chandigarh. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Brahm Mohindra said that this year ‘Punjab State No Tobacco Day’ was observed on the theme of ‘Tobacco Breaks Heart’. A booklet on Tobacco- NCD control programme was also released in the function authored by State Tobacco Control cell in collaboration with Schools of Public Health, PGlMER Chandigarh.Health & Family Welfare Minister said that it is for the first time that the Health Department has observed the ‘Punjab State No Tobacco Day’ coinciding with the Punjab Day to sensitize the youth about the creation of Punjab State and making it totally Drug Free State. He said that to take forward the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s ‘Mission Tandarust Punjab’ and to drive home the importance of pollution free environment, the venue of the function was selected as Chandigarh’s Sukhna Lake.
Flagging the various attributes of this flagship Yellow Line Campaing, the it has been launched in all the districts of Punjab under which a yellow line is marked to demarcate Tobacco Free zone at hundred yards from the schools and colleges. During this week long campaign state as well as district health officers would ensure the strict implementation of Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 and would create awareness among the students of the educational institutes from 1st November, 2018 to 7th November, 2018.The Health Minister said that the health department of Punjab has taken up tobacco control as a flagship program as a result our state became the leading State of the country to comply tobacco control law. He said that acting against the violators, about 25,139 challans had been issued under Cigarette and other Tobacco products Act, 2003 (COTPA, 2003) during year 2017-18. He said that all the 22 districts in the state have been declared as Tobacco Smoke Free. Total 730 villages have been declared themselves Tobacco Free Villages by passing the resolution in 2017- 18.
He said that keeping in view to provide counseling as well as treatment services to curb use of tobacco, state government had established the ‘Tobacco Cessation centers’ in all the districts this year. Free counseling services and cessation medicines like Nicotine gums and patches are being provided in these centers. Tobacco cessation services are also being provided by the dental surgeons in the district hospitals.He said that Punjab is a pioneer state to focus on youth by timely ban on E cigarettes, hookah bars and by declaring hostels of Colleges/Universities as Tobacco Free. On the other hand we are now diverting our energy towards youth of the marginalized section of society like slum population and rural areas of Punjab. Regular oral screening camps are being organized in the slums areas for creating awareness among the masses. State Government is continue making efforts to curb this menace of Tobacco as this will go a long way in deterring young children & youth from initiation & also incites current users to quit.A poster making competition on the theme of "Tobacco breaks Hearts" was organized in which students of Shivalik Public School, SAS Nagar took part. A street Play was staged by the artists of Delhi based NGO ‘TOBACCGO’