JAIPUR: Jhunjhunu on Thursday earned the distinction of being the first smoke-free district in the state on World No Tobacco Day. Now, if any person is caught smoking at public places in Jhunjhunu, he or she would be challaned. The public places include railway station, bus stands, banks, government offices, schools, colleges and other public and tourist places. The district administration has dedicated certain places, where a person can smoke. "We have declared Jhunjhunu as a smoke-free district. We have followed all the rules and guidelines mentioned under Control of Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003," Jhunjhunu district collector Joga Ram said. The COTPA prohibits smoking in public places. Under the Act, if anyone flouts the rules, a fine of Rs 200 is imposed. To declare the district smoke-free, Jhunjhunu district administration displayed boards at entrances of every government building. As per the Act, restaurants and hotels should also be smoke-free as they are also public places. The district administration put up boards saying "No smoking area-Smoking here is an offence." "We have authorized our officers to challan persons smoking in public places," Joga ram said. Also, the district administration has marked 'smoking areas' in the district, where a person can smoke freely. The International Union against TB and lung diseases officials also inspected Jhunjhunu district to ensure that the district has followed rules of COTPA before declaring it as smoke-free. Narendra Singh, state consultant of National Tobacco Control Programme, WHO India Tobacco Free Initiative/MoHFW, Rajasthan, confirmed, "Jhunjhunu has become the first district in the state which has been declared smoke free." The Jhunjhunu district administration has taken the help of NGOs and Panchayati Raj Institutions to achieve the status. "The rural areas of Jhunjhunu have also been covered under the smoke-free zone and for that the district administration has sought the help of Panchayati Raj Institutions," a district administration official said. A source said that as per the COTPA, every district should be declared smoke-free and those districts which are not being declared smoke-free are violating the Act.