Panaji: Directorate of Health Services has declared the premises of all the government offices as ‘Tobacco Free Zone’ and violation of it is a punishable offence.
In a press statement issued today, the department has said that the decision is been taken in the interest of public health and to keep the Government/buildings clean, thus contributing towards the “Swachh Bharat Swasth Bharat” campaign.
As such, smoking and spitting of Tobacco in the premises of Government offices are prohibited and is a punishable offense.
Public Health Department has declared all Head of Departments to enforce the same and submit compliance report to Director of Health Services by June 30, 2019.
Public Health Department informed that the harmful effects of tobacco use are well established and accepted globally. The use of tobacco is a prominent risk factor for 6 to 8 leading causes of death and almost 40% of the Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) including cancers, cardio-vascular disease and lung disorders are attributable to tobacco use. The number of deaths every year in India which is attributable to tobacco use is almost 8-9 lakhs.
