COIMBATORE: The health department is planning to select one village in each block in January and educate the people on the ill effects of tobacco and allied products. The department will brand the villages as tobacco-free zone upon completion of the counselling session.
“We will soon conduct awareness-cum-counselling sessions where people of all age groups would be sensitised on the harmful effects of tobacco use,” said P Aruna, deputy director of health services. She said even tribal villages would be brought under the ambit. All these activities would be done through the district tobacco monitoring committee. The committee on Thursday announced that Rs 3.07 lakh has been collected in fine from people who violated the cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) act by selling tobacco-related products within 100 yards of educational institutions.
The fine was collected from January 1 to December 21 this year. Last year, the committee collected only Rs 90,000 and the significant increase in the fine amount hinted at the officials’ intensifying raids at the shops in and around schools and colleges.
“To crack a whip on the violators who sell tobacco products within 100 yards of the educational institutions, we have intensified the drive to conduct surprise raids. The move is fetching good results as many violators were penalized,’ said Aruna.
Penalty is imposed for the fresh violation and the punishment would go up to imprisonment depending on the compound offences, she said. Further, the health department urged the education department instruct headmasters to identify students who are likely to get addicted to tobacco or alcohol if left unattended.