Jammu and Kashmir is fast emerging as the smoking capital of North India. The monthly spending on tobacco products far outstrips the national average. National statistics say smokers aged 15 years and above spend Rs 399.2 a month on cigarettes and Rs 93.4 on bidis while smokers in the state spend Rs 513.6 and Rs 134.2, respectively. This has been revealed in a survey by an NGO Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI). Addressing a press conference, VHAI district coordinator Muhammad Altaf Dar said as per the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India 2009-10, released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 26.6 per cent of the population in the state is using tobacco products in one or other form. “The state has 12 per cent cigarette smokers, 3.8 per cent bidi smokers and 8 per cent smokeless tobacco users. State’s cigarette use prevalence (12 per cent) is almost double the nationwide prevalence of 5.7 per cent. It has also come to light that the highest proportion of adults (67.9 per cent) who are exposed to tobacco smoke in offices are in the state and the lowest (15.4 per cent) are in Chandigarh,” Dar said. He said to protect the health of people, the Centre had enacted The Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, commonly known as COTPA-2003. “Section 4 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003 protects people from second hand smoke. Creating smoke- free jurisdiction and declaring cities smoke- free are some of the conscious efforts of the health and other responsible authorities that take collaborative steps towards increased compliance,” Dar said. Dar said in Jammu district a monitoring committee on the enforcement of the Act (COTPA-2003) is working to make all public places smoke-free. He said efforts were also being made by the VHAI and the civil society network to generate awareness and build the capacity of the managers of public places, enforcement officials, sensitise the media and generate awareness among the common man on tobacco control issues.