WOKHA DISTRICT TO BE DECLARED SMOKE FREE DISTRICT HEADQUARTER

            The district level quarterly coordination committee & district level enforcement squad, NTCP of the District Tobacco Control Cell meeting was held on 2nd August 2021.

During the meeting, it 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 (4) schools and one college were declared tobacco free educational institutes, namely Pinewood School, Government Middle School (Sector-C), Government Middle School (Sector-D), Santsuo Memorial School and Bailey Baptist College, Wokha.
Deputy Commissioner & Chairman DLCC, Wokha, Orenthung Lotha who chaired the meeting, appealed all concerned to give concentrated effort and work together in order to bring down the percentage of tobacco use in the district. He also congratulated the institutions for the achievements and urged them to be ambassador of change in spreading awareness about the ill effect of using tobacco.

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’s like “ 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 “ & “ 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.

District Nodal Officer, NTCP, Wokha, Dr. O. Daisy Ovung, while briefly presenting the quarterly report, said NTCP Wokha has been actively involved in doing 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.

(Zubenthung, IA Wokha)