Acting on the directions of Kamalpreet Kaur Brar, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Punjab, the office of the Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana, constituted four joint enforcement teams to conduct a special drive against violations of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) across the city.
Each team comprised a drug inspector, a food safety officer and a police official to ensure coordinated enforcement against the illegal sale of tobacco products.
During the special inspection drive, the teams checked seven cigarette and tobacco retail outlets in different parts of Ludhiana. At one shop, officials recovered 292 packets of cigarettes that did not carry the mandatory pictorial health warnings. The entire stock was seized on the spot in accordance with the provisions of the COTPA.
A show-cause notice was issued to the shopkeeper concerned, and further legal proceedings initiated under the provisions of the COTPA. The authorities said strict action would continue against anyone found violating tobacco control regulations.
Sharing details of the drive, Dr Ramandeep Kaur, Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana, said, “The district administration is fully committed to safeguarding public health and ensuring strict compliance with tobacco control laws.” She said the mandatory pictorial health warnings on tobacco products was a critical public health measure aimed at educating consumers about the serious health risks associated with tobacco use and discouraging its consumption, particularly among the youth.
Dr Ramandeep Kaur appealed to wholesalers, distributors and retailers to ensure that only tobacco products bearing the prescribed pictorial health warnings were sold. She warned that any violation of the provisions of the COTPA would invite stringent legal action.
The Civil Surgeon also urged residents to support the government’s tobacco control initiatives by reporting the sale of illegal or non-compliant tobacco products to the health authorities. She reiterated that enforcement drives would continue across Ludhiana to curb the sale of illicit tobacco products and promote a healthier, tobacco-free society.
