Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Two villages to be honoured

CHENNAI: Two villages in Tamil Nadu, which have ensured a tobacco-free and smoke-free environment, will be recognised with cash awards and certification, according to the Health Department.

The villages are Varanavasi in Kancheepuram district and A. Pudupettai in Madurai, where no tobacco product is either sold or consumed.

“We have visited both these villages, and the panchayat has strictly enforced a ban on the sale and use of tobacco products. No one uses tobacco within the villages,” T.S. Selvavinayagam, State Tobacco Control Officer, told The Hindu.

While the ban in A. Pudupettai has been in force for several decades, it has been clamped recently at Varanavasi.

However, both the villages implemented the ban much before the Union government’s decision to ban smoking in public places since October.

In fact, it was an encounter with these villagers that inspired the Health Department to recognise efforts in the field. The two villages will be chosen first for the awards and cited as an example for other villages to emulate.

A sum of Rs. 10,000 will be awarded to each of the villages, and a certificate of appreciation will also be presented. The sum will be deposited, and the interest from it can be used by the villages for development.

It is proposed to use the amount collected in fine so far while implementing the ban on smoking in the State to give the cash award.

Since October 2, Rs. 6,51,260 has been collected in fine from 5159 persons.

The Health Department believes that to focus on rural areas will help to sustain the anti-tobacco drive, said S. Elango, Director of Public Health. “If we focus on the villages, where a substantial portion of our population lives, we believe that we can ensure sustainability of the project. Furthermore, in villages where the panchayats play a key role, it is even possible to ban the sale of tobacco products entirely.”

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