The districts of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), Gurdaspur, and Fatehgarh Sahib have made it to the list of “Tobacco Smoke Free” districts. With this, the number of “Tobacco Smoke Free” districts in Punjab has reached to seven.
Punjab Government has already declared Ajitgarh (Mohali), Mansa, Rupnagar (Ropar), and Amritsar as “Tobacco Smoke Free” districts. The formal declaration to this effect was made on the occasion of World No-Tobacco Day on Friday.
The decision was taken by Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Madan Mohan Mittal after the State Tobacco Control Cell and District Administration of these districts made consistent efforts in this regard.
School of Public Health of Chandigarh’s PGIMER was entrusted the task of conducting a compliance survey and an opinion poll to verify the compliance of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 in these districts.
PGIMER’s School of Public Health, in its report, has concluded that there is absence of active smoking and presence of ‘No Smoking’ signage’s at most of the public places in these districts.
State Health and Family Welfare director Dr Ashok Nayyar disclosed that this study paved the way for officially declaring these districts as the ‘Tobacco Smoke Free’ district of Punjab in line with district Ajitgarh, Mansa, Rupnagar and Amritsar which have already been declared as “Tobacco Smoke Free” districts of Punjab.
According to Punjab Tobacco Control Cell’s state program officer Dr Rakesh Kumar Gupta, consistent efforts are being made to make entire Punjab “smoke free”. It is mentionable here that Government had already issued instructions to all the departments in the State for strict implementation of the COTPA 2003.
Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal has also requested Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka that children and youth in all educational institutes in the state should take Anti Tobacco pledge.
Dr Nayyar said that students in all educational institutes in the State took anti tobacco pledge, regarding which the reports are being received.
Exhibitions were also held at district and block level for awareness among general public and people were informed regarding importance of this day and taking of anti tobacco pledge by students through radio or TV and newspapers.
He also appealed public that they should co-operate in making entire Punjab Tobacco Smoke free.