Will work on making 30 Shimla villages tobacco-free: DC

Shimla Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anupam Kashyap said that the district administration had set a target to declare around 30 villages of the district tobacco-free.

He said this while chairing a district-level meeting of the Tobacco Control Committee in which officials from various departments, stakeholders, and representatives associated with the National Tobacco Control Programme were present. During the meeting, in-depth discussions regarding the Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 3.0 were also held.

The DC said, “To declare a village or panchayat tobacco-free, a coordination committee is formed at the village level, comprising local residents, public representatives, and departmental officials. Additionally, a person of influence within the village will be appointed as a Tobacco Ambassador. This committee will work towards making the village or panchayat tobacco-free. Only after meeting the prescribed standards will the village be declared tobacco-free,” he said.

The DC said that he had directed the officials concerned to ensure that all the shops mandatorily displayed a warning board stating that selling tobacco to individuals below 18 years was a punishable offence. “Additionally, all forms of tobacco advertising inside the shop will be completely prohibited. Shopkeepers should maintain cleanliness inside the shop, prohibit smoking, and ensure compliance with tobacco prohibition rules. The sale of counterfeit, illegal, or banned tobacco products is strictly prohibited” he said.

“After getting the permit, the shopkeepers are bound to fully cooperate with the authorities during the inspections. However, their permit will immediately be cancelled if any shopkeeper is found violating the said rules. Besides, shopkeepers must also display a board outside their shops displaying the message that smoking outside the shop is prohibited,” the DC said.

He added that these directions had been issued to all the officials concerned including the police and the Panchayati Raj Department and they had been directed to ensure strict implementation of these directions.

“Consumption of tobacco is a serious social and health issue and it is extremely important to keep the youth away from it. He stated that coordinated efforts from all departments are necessary to raise awareness among the youth and create a tobacco-free environment,” Kashyap said.