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| CEO Srinagar asks officers to submit monthly reports on action taken against COTPA violators | | | S Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 2: Chief Education Officer (CEO), Srinagar has asked all his subordinate officers to submit monthly reports on action taken against COTPA violators in and around educational institutions in the district.
"All Principals and Headmasters are advised to submit a monthly report to the CEO Srinagar office for follow up so that the sale and use of tobacco is curtailed around educational institutions," the order issued here said.
The Principals, ZEO's and Headmasters shall also ensure that compliances under Section 6 (a), (b) of COTPA Act 2003 is ensured and all the educational Institutions are certified as 'tobacco free institutions', the order said.
Pertinently, as per Section 6 of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA), there is a ban on the sale of tobacco to and by minors and prohibition on sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions.
Under Section 6 (b) of COTPA, the sale of tobacco products is prohibited in an area within a radius of 100 yards of any educational institutions and mandatory signage in this regard should be displayed prominently near the main gate and on the boundary wall of the school institute.
"It is heartening to see that office of Chief Education Officer Srinagar has come forward to protect the health of children by supporting COTPA enforcement at the ground level," said Afzal Makhdomi, J&K Consultant for Tobacco Control, Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI).
According to Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) carried out by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India conducted amongst the students in India, reveals that 14.6% of 13 -15 year old students are using tobacco in India. Of those, 8.1% of students smoked tobacco. As many as 11% of all male students surveyed were found to be users of smoking or smokeless tobacco, while 6% of female students used smokeless tobacco and 3.7% smoked tobacco.
According to the Minister of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), nearly 37% children in India initiate smoking before the age of 10 and each day, 5500 children begin tobacco use. The findings of these studies highlight the need for targeted interventions among youth in general and students in particular, especially given the marketing overdrive of the tobacco industry to promote the use of tobacco among youth.
Pertinently a sensitization workshop was conducted for the officers of the Transport Department in Jammu and Srinagar. The workshop was organized by Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) in collaboration with J&K Voluntary Health Association on Sep 22. Notably the COTPA Act 2003 is applicable to all products containing tobacco in any form and it extends to whole of India. Not only that but all tobacco product packages need to carry prominent and legible health warnings, while adding that these warning shall also be pictorial in nature. |
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