Anti-smoking drive pivotal for public convenience

The public was caught by surprise after the rare drive against the smoking at public places was conducted by the police at the most visited area of Srinagar—Lal Chowk and thus fining Rs 200 from offenders on the spot. Such a drive is rarely being conducted at the public places, which is though mandatory to ensure that the health of people is not affected and they don’t face any inconvenience due to the behavior of other people. The public places must not witness any such events and the people should not be forced to face hardships in absence of the proper check on these issues. The anti-smoking drive was initiated by the Srinagar police in and around the commercial hub of Lal Chowk and was conducted under the supervision of the Kothi Bagh Police Station. The drive was conducted at several locations, including the Clock Tower, MA Road, TRC Srinagar, Pratap Park Srinagar, and other areas, and was carried out by the concerned Kothi Bagh police station under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). The COTPA, 2003, is an Act of the “Parliament of India,” enacted to prohibit advertisements and regulate the trade, production, supply, and distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products in India. The drives are not the only way to curb such practices in the public places, but the people must have to cooperate in this regard and should not disobey the rules and also push others to face inconvenience. For the next few days, these drives should continue so that the public is made aware about the issue and such practices are put to an end at the public places.