KAKKANAD: District administration is all set to announce Ernakulam district as a model COTPA (Prohibition of smoking in public places) compliant district. As a part of this the administration has installed the signage ‘No Smoking’ - in and around the city. If all goes as per plans the announcement of the same will be held in the district on Sunday, the World No Tobacco Day’.
As part of making the initiative a reality a team lead by Assistant Collector Mrinmayi Joshi has been conducting a mass awareness drive in the district for the past few months. “We have been working hard to make the district a model for COPTA compliant. As a part of this we have installed signage and hoardings depicting ‘Tobacco is Injurious to Health’ at every 100 meter radius of schools,” said Assistant Collector Mrinmayi Joshi, who is the nodal officer for the project.
As many as 21 squads including health and other department under Mrinmayi Joshi carried out the inspection in the district. “We have also installed the signages at public places such as shops, hotels and trading establishments. Almost 200 signages were installed in the key areas. We have submitted a detailed report to the District Collector,” she said.
Earlier the district administration was given a deadline for affixing the signages as March 16. “We have conducted awareness classes at all the schools in the district regarding the adverse effects of tobacco.
Hereafter, we will not permit any shops or establishments to exhibit any type of tobacco product in their establishment and if anyone is found guilty, a whopping amount in fine will be imposed,” she added.