Activities under PAT and APPLE Project for the year 2010

State Level Political Advocacy workshop

Release of the Parliamentary Kit

The state level Political advocacy workshop was conducted at Golaghat in Collaboration with one of our coalition partners RRTCITT in the District Library Auditorium of Golaghat on 9th January 2010. The workshop was organized with the aim of releasing the Informative Kit exclusively designed for the Parliamentarians, State Legislatives, Bureaucrats and other policy makers. This kit is a very concise and comprehensive representation of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (COTPA), Act 2003 developed by our parent organization VHAI, which was further translated to   Assamese by the tobacco control team at VHA of Assam.

District Level Advocacy Workshop on Tobacco Control

The District Level Advocacy Workshop on Tobacco Control was organized in collaboration with the District Tobacco Control Cell, Jorhat on 21st January 2010. In order to achieve the main objective of the workshop; VHAA approached the State Tobacco Control Cell and later coordinated with the Focal Point of the District Tobacco Control Cell at Jorhat.  Focal Point, DTCC at Jorhat extended full support and facilitated in coordinating with the District Administration in successfully conducting the workshop.

Press Meet on 19th March, 2010/ Media Coverage

A press meet was held on 19th March, 2010 in the Press club, Guwahati to convey the message on the second round of Pictorial Health Warnings  (PHW) by a Gazette notification dated 5th march'2010, wherein the central Government has appointed 1st June '2010 for the implementation of COTPA (packaging and labeling amendment rules, 2010), for the mandatory display of new specified health warnings on all tobacco packages. There were 15 participants from the field of both print and electronic media.  The press briefing did receive a wider coverage in the print media as well as electronic media.

Smoke Free Public conveyances at ISBT on 10 May, 2010

A Sensitization programme was organized with the officials of Inter State Bus Terminus and the Association members on May 10, 2010. The purpose of the programme was to initiate with the smoke free public conveyances in Kamrup district (u/s 4 of COTPA 2003). To begin with the VHAA tobacco control team took account of 300 buses moving to different places of the state to make it smoke free. The event was inaugurated by the Divisional Superintendent, ISBT, Mr S. P. Sarma.

Putting up NO Smoking stickers by Divisional Superintendent of ISBT	Sensitization Programme at ISBT

Making the Guwahati University Administrative block smoke free.

An awareness programme on the tobacco control with the officials of Gauhati University (GU) was conducted recently with the purpose of facilitating towards making the GU campus smoke free. The outcome of this initiative resulted in making GU Admin Block smoke free on the eve of May 31, 2010. Dr.R. Burman, Joint Registrar, GU took proactive initiatives in this regard.

Jnt. Register of Guwahati University Putting up No Smoking Signage at the Administrative Block of the University

Street Play on World No Tobacco Day (May 31’2010)

VHAA organized street plays in various locations of Guwahati City to generate awareness and educate common masses about the hazardous health implications of tobacco use in general and its effect on women in particular keeping in mind this year’s theme “Gender and Tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women” on the occasion of World No Tobacco Dayon 31st May 2010.

Street Play on occasion of World No Tobacco Day

Media Sensitization Workshops held at Guwahati, Assam

Policy priority – COTPA, with special reference to Smoke free, advertising ban and Pack warnings

Two workshops were held at Guwahati, Assam as the first one was cut-short due to an emergency press meet convened by the Chief Minister.

The first workshop was held in Guwahati on 26 August, the representative of the Assam Government expressed his interest in conducting a workshop on implementing and enforcing the tobacco control law –COTPA 2003, Sec.6 in particular for staffs members of different schools in the capital city.

Executive Board Member, Treasurer VHAA, Mr. Ashish Dey spoke on the key focus areas covered by VHAI & VHAA towards eradicating the tobacco menace. The VHAI media team addressed the audience and talked about the role media can and needs to play towards implementing the key provisions under Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003 (COTPA) and its effective enforcement.

The second, more comprehensive workshop was held on 16 September at the Guwahati Press Club. The agenda was major activities conducted by VHAA and the government’s National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP). The main topics of discussion were No smoking in public and work places, implementation of pictorial health Warnings and ban on sale to minors.

The speaker for the event was Mr. Pranjal Saikia, an eminent face from the Assamese Film Industry. Ms. Jyotika Barua, VHAA gave a presentation on the various activities on VHAAs Anti-tobacco campaign. Mr. Massod Alam, of the NTCP also gave a presentation on their activities on some sections of COTPA 2003.

There were 18 participants from the field of both print and electronic media.

IEC Materials IEC materials were developed in print as well as in electronic form in both English and local language. No Smoking signage’s were developed and distributed to Guwahati Municipal Corporation, and other government and line departments during our monitoring and reporting of various signage violations of COTPA for further disseminate. VHAA PAT & APPLE team have also developed some Informative Slides (visual exhibits) which have been screened at a cinema hall,( four times a day, for three months, i.e: Oct-dec, 2009) containing educational and right base messages on tobacco issues relating to the significant days of the year 2009

( Child Rights day, Children’s day, International day for women, Pollution prevention day & Human rights day).The idea of a Cinema hall was taken because the targeted group comprised a mixed section of audience of diversified age groups, and furthermore to reach the larger masses for wider visibility. Each slide is not only informative but also attracts the audience through its colorful and creative depiction. The purpose of displaying the slides is to make people aware of tobacco menace and to curb its usage by the younger generation in a more pictorial way. Therefore the team intends to come up with more such innovative ideas in the near future which would enhance the initiative made by the team as well as would give visibility to the Act for long lasting results.

Sensitization meeting with GMC officials

Under this the PAT & APPLE team in collaboration with State Tobacco Control Cell organized a sensitization cum awareness programme with the top officials of GMC on the implementation, effective enforcement and violation of the key provisions under COTPA at the premises of Guwahati Municipal Corporation. The meeting was held at the office of the Joint commissioner, GMC Mr. Ratul Baruah. The secretary, chief Medical officer, DCs of various departments along with members of the State Tobacco Control Cell actively participated in the meeting. The participants shared an interactive session where the Joint commissioner Mr. Ratul Baruah made few commitments like: