Taking a tough stand, the Punjab Health Department has decided to launch a State-wide drive to confiscate all those cigarettes of foreign brands that are not carrying statutory warning as mandated by Indian law.
The State Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani, presiding over a high level sensitising meeting, said “While enforcing Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) in the State, we are targeting Indian manufacturers whereas foreign brands including Chinese brands were being sold in malls and in high end stores without any statutory warning”.
Jayani asked all the civil surgeons attending the meeting to supervise anti-tobacco campaign. He said that it was official as well as moral duty of all citizens to ensure that Punjab emerges first tobacco-free state of the country.
“The tobacco control agencies would have to re-orient their campaign strategy as awareness about danger of tobacco is always there and now we have to find out how can we free the addicts from self denial in which they are trying to live,” said Jayani.
He said that Punjab was proud to be the first State in the country that has led the nation in banning in loose cigarettes, scented tobacco, e-cigarettes.
Jayani, addressing a concern raised by an NGO run by behavioral scientist from New Delhi Mira Aghi for requesting the Centre to enforce 85 per cent pictorial warning, said that Punjab was fully with the Union Government for any measure that could reduce the consumption of tobacco in the country.
At the same time, Jayani hoped that all Government agencies, NGOs, health bodies would collectively work to tackle this menace in the country. “It is a matter of great concern that Punjab has 24 lakh tobacco users and it is horrifying to know that 50 per cent of them, that is 12 lakh, could die due to tobacco,” he added.
He said that though Punjab was at a safer pedestal, we have to lead the nation in our war against tobacco.
Jayani suggested keeping a big box at the entrance of the buildings and hospitals so as to collect the tobacco products which should be disposed off in the presence of the in charge of these buildings.
“All the Government buildings are supposed to be tobacco smoke free and anybody entering the premises should be thoroughly frisked,” he said while appealing to the people to throw away the tobacco products themselves otherwise strict action would be initiated against them.
Principal Secretary Health Vini Mahajan said that all the policy makers, high level officials and other stakeholders have been asked to initiate a campaign against tobacco in their respective departments so as to tighten the noose on tobacco menace.
She said that the Deputy Commissioners have already been instructed by Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal to ensure strict implementation of law. She asked DCs to seek help of NGOs to strictly impose COTPA and enforce ban on smoking in the public places strictly.
Officials representing various departments were asked to appoint nodal officers for tobacco control so that inter-departmental coordination can be ensured. All the relevant instructions should be passed on to district level officials also, she said.
Mahajan also requested the police officials to be proactive and include COTPA violations in monthly crime review as is being done in many States.
“A collective will of the people and the Government has made no tobacco campaign a great success in Punjab leading to declaration of all 22 districts as tobacco smoke free on the basis of compliance report by PGI Chandigarh. Hoshiarpur city has been declared as total COTPA compliant,” she added.
Health Secretary-cum-FDA Commissioner Hussan lal said that strict action has been initiated and court cases launched under FSSAI for selling chewable tobacco and under Drugs and Cosmetics Act for selling E-Cigarettes.