The meeting was attended by Principal Amar Singh College Professor, Zahoor Ahmed Chat, Associate Professor SKIMS, Soura, Dr Abdul Majid, Joint Director Education, Medical Superintendents of all Hospitals of the City, Deputy Controller Drugs & Food Control Organisation, Nazir Ahmed, Deputy Director, Evaluation and Statistics, Mohammed Altaf Baba, Executive Director J&K Voluntary Health Association, AM Mir, District Health Officer Srinagar, Health Officer SMC, Dy SP Traffic, Food Safety Officer, Shabir Ahmed Lone, representatives of Heads of Department and senior District Officers of Srinagar.
It was decides to launch a sustained and rigorous drive against smoking in public places, drug mafia and Gutka. Instructions were given to all district officers to take effective measures in this regard. Excise department was asked to destroy cannabis growing wild on the banks of the river, as well as areas where it is professionally cultivated.
Strict instructions were given to conduct random inspections in vicinity of all educational institutions so that school and college going children do not fall prey to the menace.
It was informed in the meeting that an end-line survey was conducted by an independent agency to see the compliance of the anti-tobacco act wherein 500 establishments on sample basis were inspected in 7 categories, comprising of Government Offices, Private offices, Hotels & Restaurants, Educational institutions, Hospitals and Nursing Homes, Parks & Gardens and Public Transport. It was suggested that law enforcing agencies should increase vigil and a sustained public awareness campaign needs to be launched through print and electronic media to make people aware of the ill effects of tobacco and psychotropic drugs. It was also proposed that mandatory signage’s should be installed at all public places in the larger interest of public health so that younger generation are not attracted to these harmful products.
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