Health minister Mangal Pandey (right) felicitates officials for effective implementation of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (Cotpa) at a programme organised by the health department on World No Tobacco Day on Thursday.

Officials of Jehanabad, Gopalganj, Araria, Madhubani and Saharsa districts, recently declared smoke-free, were felicitated. At the programme, principal secretary, health, Sanjay Kumar said the Indian Medical Association has agreed to the state health department's proposal that doctors put banners at their clinics showing ill-effects of tobacco consumption. The state health department would design the banners.

"There has been a dip in consumption of tobacco in the state from 53.5 per cent earlier to 25.9 per cent now, say Global Adults Tobacco Survey (GATS)-2 figures," said Sanjay. Health minister Mangal Pandey asked authorities issuing challans to Cotpa violators to counsel them too. Text by Shuchismita Chakraborty, Telegraph picture