Tightening noose around the sellers of any kind of tobacco products, the Punjab Government has decided to act strictly as per law. “The material will be seized and a court challans will be issued,” said the state Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Vini Mahajan.
Mahajan said that no leniency should be shown against the violators and must be dealt with an iron hand.
The directions were issued during a Meeting to review National Tobacco Control Program (Punjab) and implementation of ban on e-cigarettes, chewable tobacco by video conference under.
Mahajan, addressing the district health officials in a video conference, pointed that as per media reports, flavored or scented tobacco is easily available in Punjab as elsewhere in most of the states. “Strict action will be taken under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) by the Food Safety Officer (FSO), material will be seized and a court challans will be issued,” she said.
She said that anyone found smoking at public places, selling tobacco to and by the minors and selling tobacco within the radius of 100 yards of the educational institutes will be dealt with strict action and fine up to `200 will be imposed on the violators.
The State Food and Drug Administration commissioner Hussan Lal said that strict action will be taken against those selling flavored or scented tobacco. “As Punjab has banned sale and distribution of flavored or scented chewable tobacco in the State, the sale of e-cigarettes and running of hookah bars will also be on the radar of health authorities,” he said.
The State health director Dr HS Bali said that according to the National Family Health Survey 2015-16 (NFHS-4), the tobacco use among men in Punjab State declined from 33.8 (NFHS-3) to 19.2 percent (NFHS-4) and in women from 0.8 to 0.1 percent during last 10 years which is lowest among all the States of the country. Punjab is the only State where implementation of Drugs and Cosmetics Act and FSSAI and COTPA is being monitored monthly at State by Government and at District Level by Deputy Commissioners.
Tobacco Control Programme Officer Dr Rakesh Gupta told that all the districts of Punjab have been declared as ‘Tobacco Smoke Free’ (TSF) on the basis of compliance study. “But in order to create awareness and to alert the people, all the health institutions have been declared as tobacco free institutions in which no one is allowed to carry tobacco products inside the health institutions,” he said.
Tobacco cessation services are being provided at all the district, sub-divisional hospitals and drug de-addiction centers of the Punjab. Strict enforcement of anti-tobacco policy under films and TV rules is also being planned so that cinema houses comply with the law,” he said.
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