Police Bazar to be tobacco-free

SHILLONG: The Police Department has been urged to enforce the Tobacco Control Laws in Police Bazar as a pilot project in an effort to implement the National Control Tobacco Programme (NCTP).
“Let us start with Police Bazaar,” said NTCP state nodal officer Lana E Lyngdoh Nongbri during the training of law enforcers on tobacco control-cum-sensitization workshop which was held in the city on Wednesday.
The training programme aimed to promote a smoke-free Shillong campaign and to implement the provisions of Tobacco Control Laws (Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003) (COTPA).
Nongbri said that strict enforcement of Tobacco Control Laws which is in compliance to Section 4 (prohibition of smoking in public places) should be ensured and informed that the NTCP has been reactivated in the state.
She said that all shops that sell tobacco must display a sign which states that ‘No sale of tobacco products to minor’ and that no minor should be allowed to buy or sell tobacco products.
She also said that educational institutions should display signage within 100 yards of their campus and to self-declare their institutions as ‘tobacco free’.
Nongbri also raised her concern on the use of e-cigarettes which have become quite popular in the city and said that the workshop will discuss on how to deal with individuals and youths who opt for e-cigarettes.
Nongbri said that the sales of e-cigarettes should be curbed in order to prevent the trend from spreading to other areas especially villages and informed that East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills, Ri-Bhoi and West Garo Hills have been chosen as NTCP Districts for the financial year 2019-20 for the implementation of various sections of COTPA.
It may also be mentioned that the state government had issued notifications for eleven districts in the state but due to financial problems, four districts were chosen as NTCP districts.
“However the implementation will be for the whole state,” she said.
Nongbri said that the main thrust areas for the NTCP are to train health and social workers, NGOs, school teachers, and enforcement officers by organising IEC activities and school programmes.
This will in turn assist in monitoring tobacco control laws through proper coordination with local Dorbar Shnong.