Captain Raju to lead anti-tobacco drive

KOCHI: The district administration has decided to bring in Captain Raju for spreading anti-tobacco campaign message among the masses.As part of the endeavour, Captain Raju inaugurated the Tobacco-Free Public Transport programme here on Wednesday. He pasted stickers carrying anti-tobacco message on stage carriages at Kaloor Bus Station. “The future generation should take ananti-tobacco stand.  Tobacco is one of the main cause of mouth cancer,” Captain Raju said.The district administration has taken up a movement to make the district a tobacco-free district. “As part of the move we have been focusing our campaign on students. We have already given strict orders banning the sale of tobacco products in the 100-metre diameter of educational institutions,” District Collector P I Sheik Pareeth said.“So far, the focus of our campaign was schools. Now, we have decided to move on to the next stage where the campaign would be taken to the wider section of society,” he said. The district administration in association with various agencies like police, excise and health department has started flying squads for ensuring proper implementation. The police have provided a vehicle for the mobile squad. “Within a few days of its inception, the mobile squad could take measures to check the sales of tobacco products in the vicinity of schools and other educational institutions,” the District Collector said.In schools, a squad of volunteers have been formed. The district administration has given  T-shirts to these volunteers. “The students, who volunteer for the cause will tip the authorities of the sale of tobacco products near schools. This has helped us a lot in taking action against such offenders,” Sheik Pareeth said.