Tahir Mushtaq (TNI)
GNS JAMMU, May 30: Vendors selling tobacco products outside the outside hospitals and educational institutions are a common sight and authorities tend to overlook.
This despite the fact that there is ban on the selling of the tobacco products outside these institutions.
As the functions will mark the world tobacco day, question remain why no action is being taken against these people.
Despite ban on smoking in public places, the violation is rampant in the city with many of the tea stalls and Dhabas near educational institutions providing space for smoking and students in groups could be seen blowing the cigarettes.
The nationwide ban on smoking in public places was imposed in October 2008 under the provision of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition and Advertisements and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution)-Act 2003. Later in 2007, the state government asked local bodies to strictly monitor the ban and take action against defaulters.
“In the initial months the ban was enforced strictly and many people were fined by the authorities, but in past one year it seems authorities are sleeping. Concern is that youth below 18 years of age have open access to the tobacco products”, said Darshan Lal, a (retd) bank employee.
“But still the ban on smoking in public places is not yet strictly enforced in Jammu as many people could easily be seen openly violating it, be it the busy markets like Raghunath Bazaar, Parade Market, Bus Stand or any state government office in Jammu city, people openly flout rules, without the threat of being caught or fined” he added.
“If the government wishes to strictly ban all the tobacco products, first of all they should ban all the factories and industries which produce such products” said Rahul Sharma, a college student.
Many Non Government Organisations (NGO) have also came forward to remove this from the society.
One such NGO “Mashwara”, in Purkho Camp, which is working from the last 20 years for the cause to stop the consumption of tobacco.
GNS JAMMU, May 30: Vendors selling tobacco products outside the outside hospitals and educational institutions are a common sight and authorities tend to overlook.
This despite the fact that there is ban on the selling of the tobacco products outside these institutions.
As the functions will mark the world tobacco day, question remain why no action is being taken against these people.
Despite ban on smoking in public places, the violation is rampant in the city with many of the tea stalls and Dhabas near educational institutions providing space for smoking and students in groups could be seen blowing the cigarettes.
The nationwide ban on smoking in public places was imposed in October 2008 under the provision of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition and Advertisements and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution)-Act 2003. Later in 2007, the state government asked local bodies to strictly monitor the ban and take action against defaulters.
“In the initial months the ban was enforced strictly and many people were fined by the authorities, but in past one year it seems authorities are sleeping. Concern is that youth below 18 years of age have open access to the tobacco products”, said Darshan Lal, a (retd) bank employee.
“But still the ban on smoking in public places is not yet strictly enforced in Jammu as many people could easily be seen openly violating it, be it the busy markets like Raghunath Bazaar, Parade Market, Bus Stand or any state government office in Jammu city, people openly flout rules, without the threat of being caught or fined” he added.
“If the government wishes to strictly ban all the tobacco products, first of all they should ban all the factories and industries which produce such products” said Rahul Sharma, a college student.
Many Non Government Organisations (NGO) have also came forward to remove this from the society.
One such NGO “Mashwara”, in Purkho Camp, which is working from the last 20 years for the cause to stop the consumption of tobacco.
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