Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Kottayam to become tobacco-free

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kottayam will be declared a tobacco-free district before the revised rules of the Union government banning smoking in public places comes into effect on October 2.

Vishwas Mehta, Secretary, Health, disclosed this to presspersons after inaugurating a workshop on the new Controlling of Tobacco Products, Trade and Advertisement Law, organised by the Kerala Voluntary Health Services here on Tuesday.

The medical authorities, led by District Medical Officer Benjamin George, had been working for the past year and a half to make Kottayam tobacco-free. The district administration has issued three sets of orders to government and private establishments that no one should smoke in public.

A school helpline has been set up to enable any student or teacher to call and report against those using tobacco products in public.

Bars in Kottayam district have been made smoke-free and a State-level tobacco resource centre has been set up as part of the drive.

Replying to queries, the Health Secretary said the ban could not be enforced by using the police alone. There had to be a sustained campaign from society and a social movement was needed to make it effective, the Health Secretary said.

Dr. Mehta said officials designated as per the law would impose a fine on people who smoked in public places. The government would see that there were separate enclosures for non-smokers in hotels and restaurants in the State.

The Health Secretary said 20,000 to 23,000 new cases of cancers reached the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram annually. A substantial number of them were oral cancers. The younger generation should be stopped from getting addicted to tobacco and tobacco-related products, the Health Secretary added.

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