POONCH, DECEMBER 09: A specialized training session under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) and COTPA guidelines was organised today here at the Meeting Hall Dak Bungalow.
Panchayat Secretaries from all blocks of the District Poonch participated in the training and learnt about the provisions of COTPA, harmful effects of tobacco, control measures and community-level awareness strategies.
The technical training was delivered by UT level Master Trainer Dr. Nasir Turab Qazi.
Addressing the participants, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Parvaiz Ahmed Khan urged them to ensure effective implementation of NTCP guidelines in their respective Panchayats. He emphasized the need for spreading mass awareness about the ill effects of tobacco consumption.
The CMO informed that Village-Level Committees are being constituted across the district to further strengthen NTCP activities and ensure community participation in tobacco control initiatives.
The resource persons highlighted the alarming rise in tobacco use among youth and stressed the responsibility of Panchayat Secretaries to counter this trend through consistent field-level monitoring. They also discussed strategies to enforce COTPA provisions, particularly around educational institutions and public places.
The programme concluded with an interactive session, during which participants raised queries regarding challenges faced at the grassroots level. The experts assured full support from the Health Department in implementing tobacco control measures across the district.
