Information given on Kotpa 2003, Kotpa Chhattisgarh (Amendment) Act 2021 and PECA-2019
Training given to officers of health, excise, police and higher education school education department
Raipur, 27 March 2023
State level workshop was organized today by the Department of Health and Family Welfare with the objective of effective implementation of tobacco control policies and programs in Chhattisgarh. State level and district level nodal officers of Health Department, Excise Department, Police Department, Higher Education and School Education Department were trained in a one-day workshop organized at Naveen Vishram Bhawan, Civil Lines, capital Raipur.
Under the joint aegis of State Tobacco Control Unit Chhattisgarh and Bloomberg Project Chhattisgarh, detailed discussions were held in the workshop to implement policies and programs related to tobacco control more effectively in future. In the workshop, the officials related to tobacco control were informed about the provisions of Kotpa Act 2003 and Kotpa Chhattisgarh (Amendment) Act 2021 and E-Cigarette Ban Act 2019, instructions were given to take action according to the provisions of the Act.
State Nodal Officer of National Tobacco Control Program Dr. Kamlesh Jain said that tobacco de-addiction centers are operated in all district hospitals to get rid of tobacco addiction. Despite this, school children in the state have come under the influence of tobacco and e-cigarettes. Total 39.10 percent population of the state uses tobacco. To curb this effectively, all the educational institutions of the state have to be made tobacco free. He informed that the guidelines for tobacco-free educational institutions have to be compulsorily implemented in all educational institutions.
Dr. Amit Yadav, Senior Technical Advisor, The Union Sanstha, gave detailed information on the implementation of the Bloomberg initiative project in Chhattisgarh, action on violation of tobacco advertisement and pictorial health warnings and the challenges faced in it. He informed that the Tobacco Monitor app is being operated in the state through The Union and Pahal Foundation. Mr. Ashish Singh, technical advisor of Pahal Foundation, gave technical information about the Tobacco Monitoring App.
Supreme Court Advocate Mr. Ranjit Singh and Program Manager of Voluntary Health Association of India Mr. Binoy Mathew gave information on the implementation of E-Cigarette Ban Act (PECA) 2019 and Hookah Bar Ban (Chhattisgarh Amendment) Kotpa Act- 2021 . Shri Singh has told that the use of e-cigarettes is increasing rapidly, due to its odorless nature it is not easily recognized and its most affected group is the adolescent group. People do not realize that they are taking nicotine, it is currently banned in 18 states. In the workshop, NTCP State Legal Advisor Mrs. Khyati Jain gave detailed information on implementation and challenges of smoke free and tobacco free institute under Kotpa.
