Health deptt begins enforcement drives, COPTA violators fined

Srinagar, April 06: Tobacco Control Cell of Directorate of Health Services Kashmir has launched a vigorous campaign for enforcement of National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) and Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 in the valley.
Dr Mir Mushtaq, State Nodal Officer, NTCP, said the ant-tobacco drives have been launched in all the districts in Kashmir and COTPA violators are being fined.
He said apart from enforcement drives, awareness programs/campaigns are conducted in schools and people are being punished for violations especially in case of Section 4 and 6.
“During the enforcement drives, various street vendors and shopkeepers selling cigarettes and other tobacco products in violation of the COTPA Act were fined,” he said.
“There is a need for enforcement. Tobacco is putting a huge economic burden on people and it has health hazards associated. Such drives will limit the prevalence of smoking,” Mir said.
The State Nodal Officer said that the regular drives as part of the series of events have been started in Pulwama, Baramulla, Srinagar, Budgam and other places.
“Tobacco is a known health hazard and is responsible for many diseases prevalent in society, particularly various cancers, cardiac diseases and many more,” Mir said.
The Nodal Officer also said it needs a multi-pronged strategy of different individuals, organizations and departments to coordinate and arrive at a comprehensive policy to defeat this grave issue which is going to have serious consequences if they fail to control it.
“Such drives will continue in coming days and we are very strict this time and people also need to cooperate to limit the tobacco burden,” he said.
The anti-tobacco drives, the teams of the health department are focused on educational institutions and implement all the sections and sub-sections of COTPA 2003.
“School education is the main target area. We have held many meetings with the School Education and Higher Education Department. Soon we may have all schools in the valley smoking-free. The health department is holding activities under Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) in schools across the valley,” he said.
According to a provision in the COPTA Act, sale of tobacco or related products are banned within 100 metres of educational institutes. As per the Act, the selling of loose cigarettes is prohibited but these are sold openly in markets even to minors.
Notably, J&K is the sixth state in India to have high prevalence of tobacco users as over 20 percent of the population is indulging in tobacco consumption.
In 2021, a survey conducted by the Union Health Ministry had revealed that Kashmir spends a whopping Rs 600 cr on the purchase of tobacco products annually.
At a time when Jammu and Kashmir is high on nicotine, most of the districts in Kashmir valley lack manpower to implement the COTPA 2003.
Despite having a dedicated tobacco control cell in the valley operating under the National Tobacco Control Program, numerous activities in districts are not conducted due to staff shortages.