On June 1, District Collector Swaroop TK urged officials to devise a plan to declare village panchayats and wards in Udupi district as tobacco-free areas with public participation. He made this call while presiding over the quarterly meeting on the COTPA-2003 Act at the Collectorate Hall in Manipal. Swaroop TK emphasized that tobacco consumption leads to fatal diseases like cancer and heart attacks, and good health can only be achieved by avoiding tobacco products. Some gram panchayats and villages in the district have already been declared tobacco-free zones. The District Collector suggested that more areas should be made tobacco-free by raising awareness about the adverse effects of tobacco consumption. A ban on the sale of tobacco products within 100 meters of schools and colleges is already in place. Over 33 raids were conducted in the district, resulting in 245 cases being registered and a fine of Rs 70,000 being collected. Additional Superintendent of Police Sudhakar Naik, District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr. Basavaraj Hubli, and other officials were present at the meeting. The district has already seen some success in this area, with fines being collected from 31 cases of violation of the Kotpa Act, including in the district hospital premises.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati Udupi