Kochi: Think twice before you light up in public places in the district. Carrying on their good work from last year, the shadow police are booking offenders with a missionary zeal. Between January and May this year, the police have caught 6,433 persons for smoking in public places and levied a fine of Rs 8.28 lakh. The minimum fine charged is Rs 200. While the police in the district showed a good record in catching smokers, it was a dismal performance by the police in Thiruvananthapuram with literally no bookings under Section 4 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (Copta) 2003, which prohibits smoking in public places. Kozhikode, meanwhile, booked 2,161 persons for a fine of Rs 1.79 lakh during the same period. “Strict directions have been issued to police in the district to act tough against smokers who violate rules. We want to create a deterrent effect by imposing fines on offenders. Special squads have been deployed at bus stands, shopping malls, cinemas and other public spots to book offenders,” a senior police official said. From October 2012, the district police had decided to book those who were found violating Section 4 of Copta 2003. Between October and December 2012, 1,689 persons were booked in Ernakulam for smoking in public places. This was just 12 in Thiruvananthapuram and 101 in Kozhikode for the period. As per the latest stats of the police, 18 persons were booked in Ernakulam under Section 6(a) of Copta, which prohibits sale of tobacco products to minors. Officials said that tight surveillance and stringent action had helped the police to bring down the sale of tobacco products to minors in the district. While 1,224 persons were booked in Ernakulam under Section 6(a) between October and December 2012, it had come down to 18 between January and May in 2013. “Shadow police teams have been specifically asked to keep track of shops and other establishments in the vicinity of schools and educational institutions to prevent the sale of tobacco products to minors,” officials said. It was in 2003 that the Union government enacted Copta to discourage the consumption of cigarettes and other tobacco products and protect non-smokers from various smoking-related hazards. NO SMOKING PLEASE! Thiruvananthapuram showed a dismal record of booking offenders under Section 4 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (Copta) 2003 Kozhikode, meanwhile, booked 2,161 persons and levied a fine of 1.79 lakh for the Jan-May 2013 period 18 persons were booked in Ernakulam under Section 6(a) of Copta, which prohibits sale of tobacco products to minors this year, well below the over 1,200 bookings in the last three months of 2012 Officials said that tight surveillance and stringent action had helped the police to bring down the sale of tobacco products to minors