Giving further impetus to tobacco control activities in Punjab, the State Transport department has also chipped in and directed all the officials concerned to strictly enforce the anti-tobacco law— Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, (COTPA) — across the State.
The State Transport Commissioner Harmail Singh Sra has issued direction to all Secretaries, State Regional Transport Authority, and all District Transport Officers to enforce COTPA.
Besides, directions have been issued to display “anti-tobacco messages” on the Transport department properties, including bus panels, bus stands, bus tickets, etc.
“All public transport vehicles are smoke free or tobacco-free, no direct or indirect advertisement of tobacco products like Gutkha, Pan masala is there on State transport bus panels and its premises,” said the Government spokesperson.
The transport department’s move came in response to the State level Coordination Committee (SlCC) and State level Monitoring Committee (SlMC) meetings under the chairpersonship of the State Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Vini Mahajan.
Mahajan said that it is the responsibility of every stakeholder department and civil society who are members of the State and District level Coordination Committee to create awareness about hazards of tobacco and implement the anti-tobacco/nicotine laws effectively.
“The role of Transport Department is very crucial to control the menace of tobacco or nicotine,” she said.
The state’s Food and Drug Administration commissioner Hussan lal said that a coordinated effort from all stakeholders departments is the essence of controlling the menace of tobacco and nicotine. “In Punjab, where a majority of population uses public transport, the role of transport department becomes more crucial,” he said.
Only recently, Punjab Police has lent a hand to the State Health Department’s tobacco control activities across the state. All the Commissioners of Police (CoPs), Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) and Government Railway Police (GRP) Additional Inspector General (AIG) have been directed to strictly enforce the anti-tobacco law in the state.
The instructions, issued by the Punjab Bureau of Investigation (PBI) director, has asked to regularly review COTPA’s implementation in their monthly crime review (MCR) meetings and regular collection of violation related data, implementation of Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, 2015, regarding sale of Tobacco to minors, Poisons Act regarding serving of Nicotine as E-Cigarettes and Hukkah Bars and Motor Vehicle Act regarding smoking in vehicles.