Punjab Government has decided to strictly check sale of loose cigarettes with a special focus on protecting children and the youth from tobacco abuse.
The decision was taken in a review meeting of the State level co-ordination committee, held on Tuesday under the chairpersonship of State Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Anjali Bhawra.
Bhawra, during the meeting, said specialised focus would be centred on protecting children and youth from tobacco abuse and strictly implementing of Section 6 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, (COTPA) which is required as the students in the school and colleges are in vulnerable phase of their lives.
She instructed all nodal officers of various departments that the sale of loose cigarettes need to be checked strictly as it is banned under Section 7 of COTPA which also prohibits sale of tobacco products without health warnings.
Bhawra said that a united effort from all departments is the immediate need of the hour to completely eradicate the menace of tobacco and nicotine. “It is the responsibility of every stakeholder department and civil society to create awareness about hazards of tobacco or nicotine and implement the anti-tobacco or nicotine laws effectively,” she said.
She added that efforts would be made by Excise and Taxation Department to raise VAT (value added tax) on bidies and smokeless tobacco in order to bring it at par with cigarettes. State Director Health Services Dr HS Bali said more than 300 villages of Punjab have been declared as “tobacco free”.