Wokha District Tobacco Control Cell, District Level coordination Committee and District Level Enforcement Squad, NTCP Wokha held its quarterly meeting on 15th December 2020 at the Official chamber of the Deputy Commissioner, Wokha, EAC (Hq) I. Yentinougbou chaired the meeting.
During the meeting four schools namely Fernbrook, Libemo Memorial, Government School Sector “A”, Little Angle School and Longsachung village and Niroyo village were declared free tobacco schools and villages respectively. With this declaration the district has now have 23 free tobacco schools and 4 free tobacco village. The certificates were handed over by Chief Medical Officer, Wokha, Dr. C W Tungoe. He congratulated the Schools and villages for the achievement and urged them to maintain the criteria and standards for effective implementation of the Laws.
Dr. Daisy Ovung, DNO NTCP, Wokha while presenting the quarterly reports of DTCC, said the team has visited shops selling tobacco products from Niropen colony to NST colony covering around 100 (hundred) shops on COTPA Section 6, where shops owners were directed to display board with specified warning indicating that “Selling of any tobacco products to and by any person below 18 years of age is a punishable offence”. Dr. Daisy also informed that enforcement drive was also conducted on 24/11/2020 comprising of COTPA flying squad, members from NTCP and Dobashi’s and visited 40 hotels and restaurants within the town to ensure prohibition of smoking in public places.
The team directed the owners/ in-charge to display NO SMOKING signage and its specification in form of IEC were also distributed. The team during the raid penalized four defaulters for violation of COTPA Section 4. Training and awareness for Sunday School teachers, PRI on tobacco control at schools, villages, hospital staff, youths, churches and tobacco users were also conducted during the period October to December 2020, besides that total number of 33 (thirty three) tobacco users were counseled and 14 were given free pharmacological support in form of NICOTINE chewing Gum.
The members also deliberated to strengthen the enforcement of COTPA Law and to conduct enforcement activities once every month, where District Nodal Officer (NTCP) Dr. Daisy appealed all the members to extend co-operation for effective implementation of the Law. She also said that since tobacco control committee has been constituted in every school and villages she urged them put more effort and to frequently review tobacco related activities and report/submit the activities. The members also reviewed the past activities and up-coming activities to be conducted.
(DPRO & IA, Wokha)
