On Tuesday, Udupi District Collector Swaroop TK urged officials to take action and declare gram panchayats and wards in the district as tobacco-free areas. This call to action was made during the quarterly meeting on COTPA-2003 Act under the District Tobacco Control Program, held at the Collectorate Hall of Manipal Rajatadri in the city. The District Collector emphasized that tobacco consumption leads to fatal diseases like cancer and heart attacks, and that good health can only be achieved by staying away from tobacco products. Some gram panchayats and villages in the district have already been declared tobacco-free zones. The Collector wants to create more tobacco-free areas by raising awareness about the negative effects of tobacco consumption. A ban on the sale of tobacco products within 100 meters of schools and colleges is already in place, and shop owners must obtain a tobacco-free sale permit from local authorities. Over 33 raids were conducted in the district, resulting in 245 cases being registered and a fine of Rs 70,000 being collected. An additional Rs 3,300 was collected from 31 cases of violation of the Kotpa Act, even in the district hospital premises. Additional Superintendent of Police Sudhakar Naik, District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr Basavaraj Hubli, and other officials were present at the meeting.
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📰 Source: Kundapra