A survey conducted on 3,000 policemen from 33 police stations in the city by Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) in 2015 revealed that 75 per cent policemen were addicted to tobacco.
In a bid to reduce tobacco consumption among policemen, the Mumbai Police had decided to reward citizens with certificates of appreciation for reporting policemen in uniform found chewing tobacco. As part of a campaign to make police stations tobacco-free, the police have also decided to reward and give recognition to such police stations.
A survey conducted on 3,000 policemen from 33 police stations in the city by Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) in 2015 revealed that 75 per cent policemen were addicted to tobacco. After the policemen were counseled, and workshops for de-addiction were conducted, it dropped to 45 per cent, as was recorded in a survey in December 2016.
Anita Peter, Executive Director of CPAA said, "We will be conducting another survey on policemen on the basis of their new eight-hour working shift, which could have led to a decrease in consumption of tobacco. The policemen often complain that long working hours is the primary reason behind tobacco addiction, as it helps them avoid hunger while on duty."
"The campaign to make police stations tobacco-free by rewarding police stations will definitely bring down the consumption of tobacco by city policemen, and if a citizen reports about a cop consuming tobacco in uniform, it will also act as a deterrent and force policemen to think twice before consuming tobacco," said Peter.
A senior Mumbai police officer said, "Police personnel who consume tobacco often hail from rural areas and continue to do so even after joining the force. The younger generation joining the force, however, do not consume tobacco, and are generally not addicted to such products."
Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police, said, "These new initiatives will help us reduce the consumption of tobacco among policemen and make the police force tobacco free.. If we get a complaint of policemen consuming tobacco in uniform, they will be strictly dealt with."
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