Tobacco use has emerged as one of the foremost causes of preventable deaths and diseases today and as such has become the issue of concern for both the people and as the health specialists even during the periods of pandemic. In Jammu & Kashmir too the increasing intensity in tobacco smoking has thrown up a bigger challenge to health specialist as it finally has ill effects on health and physical growth of children. Fortunately the Government of India took a leadership role in the formulation and ratification of the WHO FCTC in 2003, the first international treaty for public health, ratified by 174 members so far. The Government also enacted the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA), which partly fulfilled India’s treaty obligations. The Act was applicable to the whole of India. However, in the years that followed, implementation and enforcement of this law was not effective in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country. The key reason was low priority accorded to tobacco control by policymakers and lack of knowledge on the issue, resulting in laxity in enforcement. The few achievements did not change the increasing tendency of smoking among youth and pack warnings were a result of judicial orders following legal advocacy by civil society. In addition, the WHO FCTC also enlisted key strategies to control supply of tobacco to combat illicit trade, initiate alternative livelihoods for tobacco workers and ban sale of tobacco products to and by minors, all of which left a lot to be achieved. It seemed like a promise that had given way to despair .However, in recent years; some momentous steps have been taken by the governments and civil society to break new grounds in controlling the tobacco menace in Jammu and Kashmir. In Kashmir valley the central Kashmir district Budgam was declared tobacco free district few years back but progress in anti-smoking initiatives has not been noticed in other districts of both Kashmir valley and Jammu division.
The National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) is looking at expanding and scaling up interventions in all districts across the country. A path-breaking advocacy campaign has also begun by tobacco victims themselves in different parts of Kashmir valley. Two small but noteworthy programs by civil society to help bidi workers to move to safer, viable livelihood options and enable rural women to quit tobacco have begun to show some positive results. Most importantly, our judiciary and media outlets have become significant allies in the advancement of tobacco control.
New, stronger picture health warnings have been implemented due to increasing concerns of health special on increasing tendencies of smoking among youth in Jammu & Kashmir despite delay and challenges by industry and vested interests . Amid increasing concerns of heath specialists on increasing tendencies of smoking among youth in Jammu & Kashmir the non-stop increase on tobacco products is the only measure government has taken to curb growing menace of smoking . Though burdened with several bottlenecks, new policy initiatives have come into force on banning sale of tobacco to minors, ban on gutka and regulating tobacco use and display in films. This apart, the National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) is looking at expanding and scaling up interventions in all districts across the country. A path-breaking advocacy campaign has also begun by tobacco victims themselves in different parts of Kashmir valley. Two small but noteworthy programs by civil society to help bidi workers to move to safer, viable livelihood options and enable rural women to quit tobacco have begun to show some positive results. Most importantly, our judiciary and media outlets have become significant allies in the advancement of tobacco control. Encouraging has been a circular issued several years ago by the Election Commission of India to declare polling booths smoke free areas. All these developments signify a new hope and herald a new chapter in tobacco control campaign efforts by Government, civil society and key stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir. In fact this is what the present day civil society needs to do to supplements the efforts of a bigger initiative against smoking. The anti-smoking campaign is an issue of bigger concern for health specialists, civil society groups and community level partners working on tobacco control .
