VHAA appeals for smoke-free elections in Assam

The Voluntary Health Association of Assam (VHAA) has urged the Chief Electoral Officer of the state to prohibit smoking in all polling booths during the upcoming three-phase Lok Sabha elections from April 7.
A team of the non-profit organisation working in the field of public health led by VHAA executive secretary Ruchira Neog called upon CEO Vijayendra requesting him to issue an order in this connection.
Interacting with the VHAA team, the CEO assured to look into the matter, VHAA sources said here.
Vijayendra, however, maintained that a decision on this could be expected after his discussion with the Election Commission.

"Issuance of a guideline or order by the CEO-Assam will not only help bring in awareness against smoking, but also protect people from the menace of secondary smoking, a major contributor of pulmonary diseases," Neog said.
She was also optimistic that the CEO would look into the matter keeping in mind the issue of public health and in greater interest of the society.

If declared smoke-free, Assam would be the first state in the Northeast and third in the country to do so after Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar in issuing directives to ensure all polling centres were declared smoke-free, sources said.

Smoking at polling booths, which are categorised as public places, was banned under Section 4 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003.
Besides banning smoking in public, Section 4 of the COTPA mandates display of a "No Smoking Area, Smoking Here Is An Offence" signage outside all public places.
Due to lack of awareness, there have been rampant violations of this Act, the VHAA said, adding the plea was made in view of Assam having one of the highest incidences of cancer related to tobacco use.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey carried out in 2010, 52.6 per cent of male and 25.3 per cent of female population in Assam use tobacco in some form or the other.

The prevalence of tobacco users in terms of urban and rural population was 40.6 and 39.1 per cent respectively, way above the national prevalence rate of tobacco users.