Ludhiana district may soon get the status of smoke/tobacco-free district, as the team of doctors from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, has given a positive report for the compliance study conducted in Ludhiana, the sources stated.
As per the sources, the team has found 91% of the Ludhiana city to be smoke/tobacco-free. As per the rules to get the status of smoke/tobacco-free, compliance study report should be 80% positive.
Study was mainly done on four parameters of implementation of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) in the district. The parameters included that if the sign boards are displayed at public places, if the contact numbers of the authorities concerned is written on that, if signboards are displayed at all entry points of the city and if any persons were found smoking (active smoking) at public places.
The team visited Ludhiana from March 2 to 5 for four days and inspected various places. As per the sources, team didn't find any smell of tobacco products at 98.5% of public places, besides the COTPA was implemented properly in urban areas than in rural areas.
The team found that 'no smoking' signboards were displayed at 79.7% areas, boards at entrance were displayed at 78.5% places, no active smoking was found at 97.9% public places, no cigarettes buds or tobacco products were found at 91.2% places and 97.1% public places did not have any smoking related advertisements.
{{/usCountry}}The team found that 'no smoking' signboards were displayed at 79.7% areas, boards at entrance were displayed at 78.5% places, no active smoking was found at 97.9% public places, no cigarettes buds or tobacco products were found at 91.2% places and 97.1% public places did not have any smoking related advertisements.
{{/usCountry}}Ludhiana civil surgeon Dr Renu Chhatwal said, "We haven't received any official information about the report of compliance study done by the PGIMER and State Tobacco Control Programme yet. There is a workshop on the COTPA at Chandigarh on March 16, and we hope report might be declared there. We took every possible step to make Ludhiana smoke/tobacco-free district."