• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Ahead of the Khelo India Winter games, the authorities have declared the famous ski resort of Gulmarg and the tourist destination of Tangmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district as tobacco-free zones/smoke-free tourist spots. The Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla stated that the decision was taken to keep the region clean during the winter games.

“In the interest of public health/ Khelo India at Gulmarg 2025 and with a view to keep entire Gulmarg and Tangmarg clean during the event, the entire Gulmarg and Tangmarg area is declared “Tabacoo free Zone/ Smoke Free Tourist areas,” the advisory stated. The directive suggested that tobacco consumption is dangerous to health and contributes in six to eight causes of death and is responsible for nearly 40 per cent of non-communicable diseases.

ALSO READ: Uttarakhand Forest Fires: Multiple Homes, Fruit Farms Destroyed In Tiuni As Wildfire Continues To Rage; Locals Seek Compensation

"The use of tobacco is a prominent risk factor for six to eight causes leading to death, and almost 40 per cent of the non-communicable diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases and lung disorders, are attributable to tobacco use," the order stated.

The advisory also mentioned the acts of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA), that prohibits the individuals to smoke in public areas. "The COTPA envisages the protection of non-users from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke, which specifically finds mention in section 4 of the act that prohibits smoking in public places including all public offices, public workplaces, canteens, etc.," the order further read.

ALSO READ: West Bengal: Two Get 10-Year Imprisonment In 2021 Jaggadal Bomb Blast Case

The advisory also warned the people who chew and spit different forms of tobacco. It stated that the parts of tobacco can survive in spit for an entire day which causes health problems. "Spitting of tobacco etc. leads to swine flu, tuberculosis, pneumonia, gastrointestinal disease. TB bacilli can survive in spit for an entire day, which causes health problems to the public or nuisance to people in general," the advisory warned.