Review meet on NTCP held at Kangpokpi
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIPR
Kangpokpi, February 08 2023:
District Health Society, Kangpokpi organised the District Level Co-ordination Committee (DLCC) review meet on National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) at the conference hall of DC Kangpokpi office complex on Wednesday.
Kangpokpi DC Kengoo Zuringla, who chaired the review meet, said that it is time to ensure enforcement of NTCP guidelines starting from DC office premises, mainly display of sign boards and pictorial boards.
While emphasising that the focus area of the preventive and awareness initiatives should be shops and educational institutions so as to save maximum number of lives of the people, she opined that if teachers can help in spreading awareness among the students, then it can make great impact in the society.
Zuringla further said that CEO, SHADC can look for the enforcement of the guidelines at commercial shops.
During the review meeting, experts made power point presentation on National Tobacco Control Programme and activities under the programme.
NTCP Manipur State consultant SM Monkhoom talked about NTCP and its components and informed that Dai-long village in Tamenglong district has been declared as tobacco-free zone.
Further, he guided the participants of the meeting regarding collection of fines and issuance of challans.
Sangai Youth Tobacco Free and Educational Organisation co-founder and president Premjit Thokchom also spoke on implementation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 or COTPA.
He said that Manipur has 55.1 percent tobacco users as per the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) conducted in 2016-17 and thus Manipur is the 3rd highest tobacco consumer state in the country.
As per the survey report, the prevalence of tobacco use is highest in Tripura (64.5%) followed by Mizoram (58.7%), he added.
Premjit Thokchom also spoke about the main pro -visions under the COTPA especially focusing on Section 4: Prohibition of smoking in public places; Section 5: Prohibition on advertisement, sponsorship and promotion of tobacco products; Section 6: Prohibition on sale of tobacco products to minors; and Section 7: Restriction on trade & commerce and production, supply and distribution of tobacco products including pictorial depiction of health warnings.