On an average, Just about two smokers are challaned a day in all over Punjab. Official statistics reveal that in month on January, only 1408 challans were issued to smokers in 20 districts of Punjab under Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003.
Among the highest violators of the COPTA Act, applicable to all products containing tobacco in any form, are the districts of Hoshiarpur, followed by Sangrur and Amritsar.
The situation emerged to be unfit as compared to the previous as a total of 13,090 violators were challaned in 2012. And with already 1,408 challans in a month, the total figure seemed to be much higher.
“This is because we have set up task forces in districts, and also state and district level monitoring committees to take stock of the situation, and keep the tobacco use under control,” a senior official of the state health department told The Pioneer, requesting anonymity.
Citing “easily availability” of gutka or pan masala and other chewable tobacco products in the market in small pouches of Rs one each, official maintained that there’s lot to be done to make Punjab a tobacco-free State.
Despite imposing ban on the sale of tobacco products or any other food products containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients across the State, the State Government is clambering to make the entire State “tobacco free” — as decided
in 2012. Blame it on the “loopholes” in the Tobacco Control Act, or failure of the State Government, the State Government’s efforts to check the use of tobacco has been tuned out.
In the districts, where sale and consumption of gutkha and pan masala were banned since long — Ropar, Amritsar, Mohali, and Mansa — as many as 91, 222, 91, and 25 violators were challaned.
A Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) revealed that Punjab has 12 per cent tobacco use, with 6.5 percent adults and less than one per cent of women chewing tobacco products. The survey also revealed that in Punjab, 7.7 cigarettes were smoked daily, which is quite less.
“Centre is helping us in our tobacco control programme, and we are declaring several districts as tobacco free with Centre’s help. Already, Ropar, Mohali, Amritsar, and Mansa have been declared tobacco free. On State-level function at Nawanshahr on the World Tobacco Day, we are going to declare Gurdaspur, Nawanshahr, and Sangrur as tobacco free districts,” Punjab Health Director Dr Ashok Nayyar told The Pioneer.
He maintained that District Task Forces and district monitoring committees are working well in some districts, including Amritsar, Mohali, Nawanshahr; while some need little improvement.
District Task Forces have been set up by the authorities to act against any person who commits any offence under Tobacco Control Act and its provisions at any public place. It comprise Deputy Commissioner or his
representative, the SSP or his representative not below the rank of DSP, Civil Surgeon or District level Nodal Officer of the Tobacco Control Program, Drug Inspectors, Food Inspectors, District Attorney, along with one local NGO or social activist or the religious leader.
Besides, the State and district level monitoring committees, to evaluate the anti tobacco laws, and activities regarding educating the people about ill effects of tobacco use, have also been set up.
The State monitoring committee is headed by Health Secretary as chairman, with Director Health and Family Welfare as its secretary. The representative of DGP, Food safety commissioner, and State drug controller are its members.
At district level, concerned DC is the chairman, with SSP, district public relation officer, drug inspector, and food inspector as its members.
“We are facing many challenges, but have improved upon at many aspects. We hope that our aim to declare the State tobacco free, in a real sense, be fulfilled soon.
“There is a dire need to strict implement Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, by the District Food Safety Officers. We are also making the people aware, sensitising them through multimedia,” a official of the health department said.
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