The Cancer Institute has launched a portal, ‘Safe Zone Monitor,’ to identify tobacco sales near educational institutions in the State.
V. Shanta, chairman, Cancer Institute (WIA), launched the portal on Wednesday, that could be used as an ‘inspection’ tool by health officials.
The portal, mapping all the educational institutions, would be helpful to enforce the rule preventing tobacco sales within 100 metres of educational institutions.
The portal was launched at a meeting organised to observe ‘World No Tobacco Day 2018’. The meeting’s topic was ‘Effective Enforcement of Tobacco Control Policies in Tamil Nadu – A Together Approach’.
Survey held at 30 places
Dr. Shanta pointed out that government intervention was minimal until the first ban was effected on tobacco sale through the COTPA Act, 2003. However, even after that, nothing much happened regarding its effective implementation to control the sale of tobacco, particularly near educational institutions where a survey was conducted at 30 places.
Amit Yadav, senior consultant, ICMR-Delhi, said more than 20 crore people are using smokeless tobacco in the State. He stressed that the single most effective measure to prohibit the use of tobacco could be the rise in the tax for tobacco products.
25 types of tobacco
Dr. Yadav brought to notice the absence of billboards showcasing ‘No Smoking’ in public places. He said over 25 types of chewing tobacco was being sold in city. The stakeholders meeting saw various government officials explaining their shortcomings in carrying out regular raids owing to manpower shortage and the lack of public cooperation to permanently ban tobacco sales.
Published - June 02, 2018 12:45 am IST
