Punjab has formally declared Jalandhar district as the 17th ‘Tobacco Smoke-Free’. Already, 16 districts have been given the tag on the basis of compliance study by School of Public Health, PGIMER, Chandigarh.
State Health and Family Welfare Minister Surjit Kumar Jiyani said that 40 per cent of all types of cancers and 90 per cent of oral cancers are attributed to Tobacco usage. Efforts are being made to make the entire State Tobacco-smoke free, soon,” he added. The State Principal Secretary for Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education, Vini Mahajan, congratulated the District Administration of Jalandhar and State Tobacco Control Cell, Punjab for their consistent efforts in this regard.
She revealed that School of Public Health, PGIMER, Chandigarh was entrusted with the task of conducting a Compliance survey and Opinion poll to verify the compliance of COTPA Act, 2003 (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act). PGIMER’s School of Public Health’s assistant professor Dr Sonu Goel, in his report, concluded that, absence of active smoking and presence of signages was observed in more than 87.6 per cent of public places in districts Jalandhar paving way for declaration of 17th Smoke- Free district.