Nagaland min seeks support to enforce ban on tobacco

Dimapur: Nagaland health & family welfare minister P Paiwang Konyak called for a collective and coordinated approach to support the one-year ban on tobacco imposed across the state.On June 4, the state govt imposed a one-year statewide ban on the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of all food products containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients, citing public health concerns and directions from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).At a high-level review meeting of the department in Kohima on Tuesday, the minister emphasised the need for a collective and coordinated approach toward public health, calling upon civil society organisations, churches, and community leaders to extend their wholehearted support to the one-year ban on tobacco. Konyak stated that such a measure would significantly contribute to improving public health and safeguarding the younger generation from the harmful effects of tobacco consumption.He urged all stakeholders to cooperate closely with the district administration and police authorities to ensure effective implementation and enforcement of the initiative.Reviewing the department’s performance and ongoing programmes, including preparedness for Ebola outbreak, review on 100-day mission under NQAS, TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan campaign, Konyak directed the department to strengthen its outreach at the district level, enhance service delivery, and ensure that government healthcare initiatives effectively reach the grassroots population.On the Ebola outbreak, state nodal officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, Nyan Kikon, said no Ebola case has been detected in Nagaland so far. The department, however, has been directed to maintain heightened surveillance, strengthen preparedness at all levels, and ensure prompt response mechanisms are in place as a precautionary measure.