Public awareness must to curb tobacco usage: DC

January 21, 2015

Mangaluru, Jan 21: With people still considering smoking as a fundamental right, a total ban cannot be applied to it. Hence, more information on use of tobacco and gutka and their effects should be given to people, said Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim.

Speaking after inaugurating a workshop on ‘Effective Implementation of Tobacco Control Laws in Karnataka by capacity building and monitoring’ organised by the Dakshina Kannada district police department in Mangaluru on Wednesday, he said that while there were lot of fundamental issues faced by enforcers with regard to Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), the process of creating awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco and related products should involve all governmental bodies and other organisations in order to reach out to more number of people including youth and college students.

Senior technical advisor (Tobacco Control) at South-East Asian office of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) Dr Rana J Singh said that tobacco usage was already prevalent and wide-spread in Karnataka, with nearly 28 percent of the people in the state are using tobacco products. According to statistics, the state has approximately 1 crore people tobacco users and it is a very huge challenge to cure all the users of their relevant diseases, he said.

He said that the tobacco control laws become effective only when they are self-enforced and self-regulated. Ban on smoking should not be enforced on others, but mutual co-operation is necessary to check their usage of tobacco products in the state. Ban of advertisements and hoardings of tobacco products, involvement of school children in creating awareness among tobacco users and spreading awareness through the civil society and NGOs is essential to reduce the number of tobacco users, he stressed.

District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr Ramakrishna Rao said that with 30,000 new cases of cancer every year, nearly 3 lakh people in Karnataka were suffering from cancer and tobacco-related diseases. The main intention of the workshop is to help create public awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco and other products, he said.

Following the inaugural programme, Dr Ramakrishna Rao and Dr Rana J Singh conducted sessions on the disadvantages and harmful effects of tobacco, as part of the workshop.

District nodal officer and several health officers were present on the occasion.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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