Chandigarh, December 12: Punjab has initiated a crusade to eradicate tobacco use to save children and youth across the State under the ‘National Framework for Joint TB-Tobacco Collaborative Activities’ developed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
For the implementation of the same on pilot basis in Punjab, the Union Ministry has chosen three districts — Sangrur, Kapurthala and SAS Nagar. “The State Tobacco Control Cell has organized a workshop on the implementation of TB Tobacco Collaborative Framework under the chairpersonship of the state Health and Family Welfare director Dr Jaspal Kaur,” said the spokesperson. The state Health Department has been passionately pursuing the agenda to bring down tobacco consumption in Punjab.
“Tobacco Cessation centers have been established in all the districts. Free Tobacco cessation counselling and medicines, like Nicotine gums and patches, are being provided in these centers to the patients who want to quit tobacco use,” said the spokesperson. Spokesperson said that the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA-2003) has been strictly implemented in the state, with total 14,130 challans being issued between April and November this year against the violators in the state.
Source Daily Pioneer
