Zunheboto district launched the smoke-free district headquarter campaign on August 2 at the residence of the deputy commissioner in the presence of Sumi Hoho president, Sumi Totimi Hoho (STH), Town GBs’ Association and other public leaders.
According to a DIPR report, National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) district nodal officer, Zunheboto, Dr. Easter Chophy Ngulie highlighted the aims and objectives of the campaign.
She informed that according to a survey, nearly 10 lakh of the populace had developed the habit of consuming tobacco out of 23 lakh total population in Nagaland for which the campaign had to be initiated to protect the future generation.
She also briefed about the hazardous health infections caused by passive smoking and that the campaign was mainly aimed at protecting non-smokers, especially the children.
ANPSA Zunheboto unit president, Tokavi Swu expressed his appreciation to Dr. Easter and her team for initiating no tobacco campaign earlier at the district focusing on schools and other public places.
He said that after organising no tobacco clubs at various schools, it has not only helped but have come a long way in curbing tobacco usage in the district, mostly among the youth, which he said, was a positive sign.
Main speaker of the programme, DC Zunheboto, Peter Lichamo spoke about the ill-effects of passive smoking and appealed to the gathering to work together sincerely in making the campaign a success.
Smoking habits needs to be treated as an emergency situation, he added.
Lichamo congratulated initiators of the campaign for successfully launching the programme in the district and wished them success.
Wokha: District level quarterly coordination committee & district level enforcement squad, NTCP of the District Tobacco Control Cell (DTCC) meeting was held on August 2.
According to a DIPR report, the meeting deliberated on declaration of smoke-free district headquarters campaign and the same was launched and agreed after discussing the guidelines and action plan.
During the meeting four schools and one college were declared tobacco free educational institutes: Pinewood School; Government Middle School (Sector-C); Government Middle School (Sector-D); Santsuo Memorial School and Bailey Baptist College, Wokha.
DC & chairman DLCC, Wokha, Orenthung Lotha appealed all concerned to give concentrated effort and work together in order to bring down the percentage of tobacco use in the district.
He congratulated the institutions for the achievements and urged them to be ambassadors of change.
During the meeting, the following notifications under Section 21, 24 and 25 of the cigarettes and other Tobacco products Acts 2003 and for strict implementation of Section 4 and 6 of COTPA 2003, for putting up of appropriate signage such as “ no smoking area smoking here is an offence” to be displayed in public places; educational institutions and “sale of tobacco products to a person below the age of 18 years is a punishable offence” and “prohibition of sale of tobacco products in an area within a radius of 100 meters of educational institution” to be displayed by shopkeepers/vendors for immediate implementation was decided, where the DC appealed all concerned authorities to abide and follow instructions and asked to submit action taken report.
NTCP district nodal officer Wokha, Dr. O. Daisy Ovung while briefly presenting the quarterly report said NTCP Wokha has been actively involved in awareness campaign by distributing IECs in various locations and providing counselling to patients who uses tobacco at the district hospital, also doing multiple sessions of focus group discussion with tobacco users, providing them with counselling and nicotine replacement therapy support.
Dr. Ovung also informed that some activities planned for this quarter, such as smoke-free awareness campaigns with various agencies and groups, continuing FGDs with tobacco users and quarterly enforcement of COTPA section 4 and 6 around Wokha town.