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| Jammu & Kashmir Police acts tough against smokers across state | | Books around 14,000 people, recovers more than 16 lakh rupees | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Feb 20: The Jammu & Kashmir Police has booked around 14,000 persons and recovered more than 16 lakh rupees from them after they were seen found violating the anti-tobacco law in the state over the past year and a half.
According to the figures provided by the state chapter of Voluntary Health Association of India, Jammu and Kashmir Police booked 13,925 people and recovered Rs. 16, 55,377 as fine from these COTPA violators during the past 18 months. Those implicated include 648 commuters and drivers who were found violating the anti tobacco act while driving on various state highways. Worried by the increased use of tobacco the state government has directed the police to incorporate Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, COTPA violations in the monthly crime review for strengthening the public health measure at the district and sub district level. The state police chief has been asked to collate the violations for strengthening institutionalization of the mechanism and to forward the details on monthly basis to the Superintendents of Police in the districts. The VHAI figures point out that state has 12 percent cigarette smokers-almost double the nation-wide prevalence of 5.7 percent and 3.8 percent bidi smokers and 8 percent smokeless tobacco users. These figures have been complied on the basis of a survey released by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. COTPA, enacted in 2003 and applicable to the entire country, is mainly aimed to discourage the consumption of cigarettes and other tobacco products by imposing progressive restrictions and to protect non-smokers from passive smoking. Officials of the Jammu & Kashmir chapter have said that Jammu & Kashmir is one of the few states where traffic police is taking separate initiatives for effective enforcement of COTPA.
The traffic police have booked 648 violators and have recovered Rs. 76,880 as fine from these violators during the past 18 months. Pertinently, Jammu & Kashmir is the second state after Karnataka, where police department is printing and distributing its own challan books for COTPA enforcement.
The state is fast emerging as the smoking capital of North India. Also, the state's monthly spending on smoking tobacco as far outstrips the national monthly expenditure averages. While nationally, smokers aged 15 and above spend Rs 399.20 a month on cigarettes and Rs 93.40 on bidis, those in Jammu & Kashmir spend Rs 513.60 and Rs 134.20, respectively, on these tobacco forms. Consequently, health hazards due to passive smoking are also more in the state as compared to any other state in North India. |
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