Bhubaneswar: The Lok Seva Bhawan premises in Odisha’s capital city have been declared as a ‘Tobacco-Free Zone’.
The Health and Family Welfare Department has issued a notification which states that smoking, consumption of tobacco products and spitting tobacco are strictly prohibited within the Lok Seva Bhawan premises. Any violation will be treated as a punishable offence under the applicable law.
The notification pointed out that tobacco is a major cause of several non-communicable diseases including cancer, heart and lung-related ailments.
Tobacco consumption is responsible for around 1.3 million deaths in India every year. Hence the initiative of the Health and Family Welfare Department, aimed at protecting public health, and creating a clean and healthy environment for employees and visitors.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling said the initiative will strengthen the objectives of Swachh Bharat, Swasth Bharat and the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, while making Lok Seva Bhawan a clean, healthy and tobacco-free workplace.
Mahaling said efforts were being strengthened to curb tobacco consumption under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Emphasising on the need to promote a healthy lifestyle among the younger generation, the minister said efforts to encourage complete abstinence from tobacco will continue in the state.