Budgam: A comprehensive enforcement and awareness drive under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, was conducted Friday in the villages of Iskanderpora, Ichama, and Pirpora of Medical Block Beerwah.
The initiative aimed to curb public tobacco consumption and reinforce compliance with anti-tobacco laws.
The drive focused on three key objectives vis a vis strict enforcement of Section 4 of COTPA (prohibiting smoking in public places), restricting tobacco sales near educational institutions (Section 6) and ensuring mandatory display of statutory warnings at shops and public points.
Health teams on the occasion inspected markets, shops and public spaces, distributing awareness materials and counseling violators.
Three challans were issued to individuals caught smoking in public, with fines levied as per COTPA provisions. Shopkeepers were sternly warned against unlicensed sales and non-compliance with signage rules.
The campaign concluded with strong stakeholder support, paving the way for similar drives across the district in the coming weeks.
District Health Society, Budgam, reaffirmed its routinely conducting COTPA enforcements to reduce tobacco-related harms, aligning with the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP).
