Health Dept team challans 15 persons in Kotkapura

Tribune News Service

Kotkapura, May 31

Observing World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on Friday, Health Department team conducted raids and challaned those who were found selling tobacco-related products without following the norms in Kotkapura city.

The team challaned 15 persons in Kotkapura city and collected Rs 3,000 as fine from them on the spot.

The drive was carried out as a part of the health authorities’ plan envisaged during the anti-tobacco drive. Raids were conducted by a team comprising Dr Saravdeep Romana, Rajinder Kumar, Bhupinder Singh, Malkeet Singh, Jarnail Singh and others.

To encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption around the globe on WNTD, we want to draw people’s attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and its bad effects, particularly in relation to cancer which is emerging as a major reason of death in the state. Besides inviting many diseases, smokers expose non-smokers in their company to many smoking-related problems, said Dr Rajinder Kumar, Civil Surgeon, Faridkot.

The district-level awareness programme against tobacco was organised at Government Senior Secondary School at Jand Sahib in Faridkot.

“Tobacco task force raided the crowded areas of Kotkapura under the Anti-Tobacco Act. It is a really dangerous trend and can cause a lot of harm not just to the smoker, but people around him, giving rise to many diseases. The drive is our attempt to discourage people from consuming tobacco-related products and stop playing with their lives. Today, we carried out raids, we also plan to carry out more drives in the city,” said Romana.