Kohima: Dimapur officials are tightening the screws on tobacco use. The District Level Coordination Committee met Thursday to demand better enforcement of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act of 2003. Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr. Diana Patton led the talk. She wants civil society and women to lead the charge at the grassroots level.
Data shows progress. Tobacco use in Nagaland dropped from 56.8 percent in 2010 to 43.3 percent in 2017. Smoking rates fell even faster, plummeting from 31.5 percent to 13.2 percent over the same period. Smokeless tobacco also saw a dip from 45.3 percent to 39 percent. Despite these gains, officials insist the job remains unfinished.
Dr. Esther Chophy, the District Nodal Officer, highlighted a massive funding gap. The program receives a mere 10,000 rupees every three months. She told the committee, "The programme receives only Rs10,000 for three months, which she described as insufficient for regular inspections and enforcement activities." Without more cash, regular inspections are nearly impossible.
Successes exist on the ground. Exactly 151 institutions, including 138 schools and 13 colleges, now carry the tobacco-free label. Four villages also earned the status. Enforcement squads need help. The district administration must back their efforts with more resources to keep students away from smoke and chewable products near school gates.
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