The Odisha government has initiated inter departmental coordination
action plan for prohibition of the consumption of tobacco in the state.
A high level meeting held here yesterday decided to intensify the
Information Education and Communication ( IEC) activities to make people
aware about the dangers involved in consumption of tobacco.
Chief Secretary J K Mohapatra who chaired the meeting has directed
to strengthen enforcement mechanisms for implementation of Cigarette
and Other Tobacco Product Act ( COTPA)-2003.
It has been
decided to empower ASI police as the notified enforcement authority
under the Act.Presently,the Sub Inspector of Police and above rank
officers, Drug Inspectors, Food Safety Officers are functioning as
enforcement authority.
The Odisha government has banned
production, consumption and sale of all tobacco related products in 2013
and since then about 34,600 violators have been fined up to March,
2014.
The capital city of Bhubaneswar has been declared
smoke-free since Ocober,2010.The state government has also strengthened
the enforcement activities in Khurdha, Kalahandi and Ganjam districts.
The Tobacco Control Programme has been integrated with Aids Control
society, Non-Communicable Disease programme, Mental Health Programme and
Revised national Tuberculosis Control Programme.
The meeting suggested for a rise in the tax on the tobacco related products to minimize its production and consumption.
The Best Practices for prohibition of tobacco consumption applied in
states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu were discussed in the
meeting.
It was decided in the meeting to take up the measures
like government servants declaring not to consume tobacco, no selling of
tobacco products near hospitals and schools, state enacting the Smoking
and Spitting Act, Authorization of enforcement officials at district,
municipal, block and village levels, Intensive media campaign and
Tobacco free guidelines for issuing sanitary certificates to schools.
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