Jammu, May 7: Directorate of Agriculture Production & Farmers Welfare, Jammu in collaboration with Directorate of Health Services, Jammu today organised a day long sensitization Programme on National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) for the officers/officials at Krishi Bhawan Talab Tillo.
Director Agriculture, Jammu, K. K. Sharma, in his keynote address, highlighted the ill effects of direct and indirect use of Tobacco in different forms and impressed upon the officers to take advantage of the programme to understand laws and acts for prevention of smoking and use of tobacco in offices and public places. He expressed concern over the emerging trend of tobacco use in children/youth/women and stressed on the need of educating the society against the use of tobacco to secure the future of the Nation as well as society in particular. It was enjoined upon the officers to make their respective offices the “smoking free zone” by displaying the warning in this regard.
Divisional Coordinator (NTCP) Jammu, Shiveta Raina through power point presentation informed the participants about the status of tobacco use in India including J&K. She outlined that the main objective of organizing this training programme is capacity building of senior government officials to get a better understanding regarding enforcement of the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act -COTPA -2003 and implementation of the National Tobacco control programme(NTCP). It was also informed that TOBACCO use is the single largest cause of preventable deaths and illness worldwide and it kills half of its users prematurely.
It was further informed that the NTCP programme focuses on reduction of demand/supply of Tobacco products and implementation of strategies for prevention and control of Tobacco. Light was also thrown on section 4, 5, 6 & 7 of the COTPA which includes prohibition of smoking in public places, prohibition of advertisement and promotion of Tobacco, Prohibition of sale of Tobacco product to minors, mandatory depiction of statutory warnings etc.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Joint Director Agriculture (Extension), Subash Chander Sharma gave a brief overview of the programme & objective of the NTCP and highlighted the role and responsibilities of society on Tobacco Control.
Those who attended the programme include Joint Director (Inputs), A. S. Reen, Joint Director (Apiculture & Mushroom), R. K. Hitaishi, Joint Director (Marketing), Mahesh Verma, Deputy Director Central, Vivek Kohli, Agronomist (VIS), J. C. Raina, Agriculture Chemist, Aman Jyoti Shrama, CAO Jammu, Arvind Baru, Agriculture Economist, Yograj Slathia besides other senior officers of the department of Agriculture.
