The District-Level Coordination Committee (DLCC) meeting of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) for Thoubal District was convened today at the Conference Hall of the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
Deputy Commissioner A. Subhash, who also serves as the chairman of the committee, highlighted the need for coordinated efforts between law enforcement authorities and the DLCC to conduct enforcement drives in various locations, including educational institutions. He stated that fines should be imposed to ensure effective implementation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. He encouraged the committee to collaborate with these members to organize awareness programmes in villages and localities, highlighting the harmful effects of tobacco use.
It was also noted in the meeting that, in the previous year, the Sangai Youth Tobacco-Free and Educational Organisation, a state-level NGO, along with the Zonal Education Office (ZEO) Thoubal, had conducted awareness programmes in ten schools within the district. These schools have since been declared Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions as per NTCP guidelines.
The meeting deliberated on strategies to further promote tobacco-free villages and enforce COTPA, 2003 more effectively across the district. It was attended by SDOs of Thoubal and Lilong, representatives from the police department, and other members of the DLCC.
