Western Sümi Students’ Union (WSSU) has strongly condemned the “open promotion of tobacco products” in and around Dimapur town.
WSSU president Ikato Khulu and general secretary Vitoka N Rochill maintained that the large hoardings around the town promoting tobacco products constituted “a serious violation” of COTPA Act 2003, Section 5, which prohibited advertisement of cigarettes and other tobacco products.
The union reminded it had earlier urged the responsible department to take action against the sale of tobacco products to minors and act against shopkeepers selling such products within 100-meter radius of educational and medical establishments. However, WSSU expressed disappointment over continued open promotion and advertisement of tobacco products.
WSSU, therefore, asked the responsible authorities to remove those advertisements within 48 hours, failing which the union affirmed to take “further necessary measures.”