The Kohima district administration has banned smoking in all public places, including police stations, public transport and prisons, to generate awareness about health.

Kohima deputy commissioner Gregory Thejawelie, in an order on Friday, said “indiscriminate smoking” in police stations and public transport was a clear violation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003.

He directed the state transport and police departments to abide by law and install prohibitive signage at all public places under their jurisdiction.

The Nagaland Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), Dimapur, in collaboration with Diphupar Naga Students’ Union (DNSU), launched a “yellow line” tobacco-free campaign here on Friday to curb high rate of tobacco consumption by students.

NTPC district nodal officer C. Tetseo said their aim was to strengthen tobacco-free institutional norms and create more awareness in Nagaland, which had been declared “the highest consumer of smokeless tobacco in the Northeast”.

DNSU president N. Pitovi Achumi asked shops falling within the “yellow line” or within 100 metres of any educational institution, to immediately stop selling tobacco products, failing which they would be penalised.