City level workshop on tobacco control in Dibrugarh, Assam | City level workshop on tobacco control in Jorhat, Assam

City level workshop on tobacco control in Dibrugarh, Assam

Consumer Legal Protection Forum with support from Consumer VOICE, New Delhi organised a city level workshop on tobacco control issues on 20 January 2019 at Sahityarathi Lakhminath Bezbaruah Bhawan, Dibrugarh, Assam.

The main objective of the event was sensitization of stakeholders on tobacco control measures in Dibrugrah, Assam through vendor licensing.

The programme started with the introduction message by Advocate Ajoy Hazarika, Secretary, Consumers’ Legal Protection Forum. He shared key findings of a recent study on tobacco vendors in Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Guwahati.

He told that tobacco vendors were found selling candy, chips etc. the products meant for and to attract children/youth to tobacco shops. He expressed concern that Assam has shown a significant rise of 9 % in overall tobacco consumption from 39.3 percent during the last survey in 2009-10 to 48.2 percent as compared to a 6 % decline in national average as per Global Adult Tobacco Survey report 2016-17.

There was a panel discussion on the needs and strategies for protecting young generation from the menace of tobacco where Dr. Simanta Madhab Baruah, Professor, Assam Medical College Hospital; Dr. Riktom Borgohain, District Nodal Officer, Tobacco Control Cell, Dibrugarh and Dr. Udayan Baruah, Joint Director of Health, Services, Dibrugarh   gave their valuable suggestions on the issue. Mr. Mukul Chandra Deka,  Vice Chairman, Dibrugarh Municipal Board chief guest of the programme spoke on the role of municipal bodies in tobacco control. He also highlighted that the licensing system will be useful to decrease the  tobacco consumption.

The workshop was attended by more than 50 participants including  health experts, tobacco control officials, youth icons, officials from Municipal Corporation, student leaders, media, students, Resident Welfare Associations, CSOs and activists working on tobacco control, Consumer and Child right issues. The media covered the workshop widely.

Media Coverage of City Level Workshop in Assam

City level workshop on tobacco control in Jorhat, Assam

Consumer’s Legal Protection Forum with support from Consumer VOICE, New Delhi organised a city level workshop on tobacco control issues on 14 February 2019 at AMSA Hall Jorhat, Assam.

The purpose of the event was to sensitise stakeholders on tobacco control measures in Jorhat, Assam through vendor licensing.

The programme started with the introductory message by Advocate Ajoy Hazarika, Secretary, Consumers’ Legal Protection Forum. He shared key findings of a recent study conducted on tobacco vendors in Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Guwahati.

He told that, the density of tobacco vendors is too high in both commercial and residential areas .

Key findings of the Jorhat are:

In the survey it is found 324 tobacco vendors in 6 wards/areas in Jorhat. Tobacco vendors are violating COTPA, 2003 in Jorhat.

• Mandatory warning display board was not found at 34 % tobacco point of sale.
• Tobacco products are displayed openly, amounting to advertisements at every point of sale.
• Some kind of Tobacco product advertisements were found at 100 %point of sale.
• Despite ban in State, sale of loose cigarettes is rampant (100%), which frustrate purpose of pictorial warning at package and to make them affordable for youth and low income groups.
• 80% of Tobacco vendors were found Selling candy, chips etc. the products meant for and to attract children/youth to tobacco shops.

Shri Paban Bordoloi, Vice Chairman, Jorhat Municipal Board who was Chief guest of the event spoke on the role of municipal bodies in tobacco control. He also stressed that the licensing system will be useful to decrease the tobacco consumption.

There was a panel discussion on the “Needs and strategies for protecting young generation from the menace of tobacco” where Dr. Amrit kr. Saikia, Joint Director of Health Service, Jorhat; Najmee Ayysha Ahmed, Hon. Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Jorhat; Dr. Bhaktimay Bhattacharyya, Nodal Officer, DTCC, Jorhat & Prokash Sharma, Officer In Charge Special Police Task Force, APDCL, Jorhat gave their valuable suggestions on the issue.

As a Special Guest Anjan Kumar Bora, Sr. Journalist and Desk In charge, Amar Asom, Jorhat addressed on the role of media in tobacco control. Dr. Suvasish Sharma, Prof & Head, Political Science Dept., JB College, Jorhat spoke on Tobacco control in smart cities. The workshop was also supported by Sankalpsiksha an  organisation working on education in Jorhat.

The workshop was attended by more than 50 people including Health experts, tobacco control officials, youth icons, officials from Municipal Corporation, students leaders, media, students, Resident Welfare Associations, CSOs and activists working on tobacco control, Consumer and Child right issues. Media provide wide coverage to the event.