from Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (GA)

Panaji, Nov 15: The anti-tobacco crusaders on Saturday November 15 held an orientation session with the law enforcers – Goa Police – educating them on the ill-effects of smoking and also their role in implementing the anti-smoking Act.” We will reward the policeman who will create maximum awareness about the anti-smoking Act. We do not want them to fine people right now but expect that they will educate people about the Act," Superintendent of Police (North) Bosco George said.

Goa being a tourist destination welcomes 24 lac visitors which is almost double to that of its own population which is pegged at 14 lac.

The police force will have an arduous task of educating every smoker, most of whom, ignorantly light a cigarette in public.

"The penalizing process will start from January 1. Before that mass awareness would be created and for that police will play a vital role," Dr Shekhar Salkar, General Secretary, National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE), an anti tobacco NGO, said.

"As per the recently implemented Act, besides police, restaurant managers are also authorities to fine the people, if they are found smoking in public. Beaches and certain smoking zones are excluded from the act," he said.

The orientation exercise which was held on Saturday morning at Goa police headquarters had 150 policemen from all the ranks participating in it.

"The exercise was not just for them to implement the law but also make them aware about the ill-effects of smoking," Salkar said.

According to George, the number of smoking policemen has decreased over the years. "The new recruits prefer to spend on dressing well and buying a latest motorcycle than smoking. This is a welcome trend. They are also health conscious and gym regulars," he said.

The ash trays have disappeared from the police station tables and sign boards warning against smoking are prominently displayed in Goa's all the police stations.

Although the actual implementation is yet to start, Goa, the tourist state, has seen tremendous reduction in the people seen smoking in the public.

The restaurants too have displayed no smoking boards and have created separate smoking zones where there is no table service. "At times, people are seen standing outside the restaurant in open space and smoking so that they are not creating passive smokers," Salkar said.