Ensure tobacco-free environment

The civic sense might have changed among the masses in many ways, but what remains unchanged is the use of tobacco products at the public places, causing harm to the passerby, including those, who are not involved in smoking and other things. However, the action against the people who are seen puffing cigarettes publically, usually go unnoticed, though the government has claimed to have realized fines amounting to over 1.5 lakh rupees from violators in 2023. Since the number of the people using tobacco products at public places are seemingly too high, the concerned authorities have failed to act against the majority among them, indicating lackadaisical attitude from the officials with regard to putting an end to the use of tobacco products at the public places. While divulging the details, the Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr. Muhtaq Ahmad Rather, has stated that the push for a tobacco-free environment is not only a matter of law but also a public health imperative, emphasizing the critical need for public support in achieving this goal. There is no doubt that public support is imperative to achieve the goal of a tobacco-free environment, but at the same time there is a need to pull up the socks and start massive drives in this regard at the public places to ensure that strict action against the persons involved in the act are taken. The fine realized so far in the ongoing year looks too low when it comes to the observation of the smoking and use of other tobacco products by the public, therefore, the massive action at this juncture is imperative to achieve the goal.