The Thiruvananthapuram City Police are fully geared up for time-bound action to make the capital a
tobacco free district that fulfils the provisions of the Indian tobacco control
law COTPA, 2003. This follows a multi-stakeholder meeting chaired by the
District Collector that decided to make Thiruvananthapuram a model COTPA
compliant district.
As
part of this, Circle Inspectors and Sub Inspectors attended a half-day workshop
in which they were explained the various sections of COTPA and the steps for
achieving model compliance status.
Deputy
Commissioner Smt S Ajeetha Begum talked about the purpose of the training
programme and asked all officers to take strict action against COTPA violations.
“We are embarking on a prestigious project that will have positive implications
on the health and well-being of our people,” she said, even while calling for
strengthening reporting of COTPA violations.
Faculty
member Retd.DySP Adv K Mohana Kumar made an audio-visual presentation and explained
the various sections of COTPA and the punitive measures prescribed for
violation of each. Section 4 of COTPA prohibits smoking in all public places;
acts of violation will invite a fine up to Rs 200. Public places have also to
put up mandatory no smoking signages in the prescribed size and format at the
entrance and conspicuous places inside. Educational institutions, hospitals,
restaurants, cinema halls and the like are included in the list of public
places, he told.
Section
5 prohibits all forms of tobacco advertisements; Section 6 prohibits sale of
tobacco products to and by minors – sale of tobacco products around 100 yards
(91.4 metres) radially of an educational institution is banned. Section 7
requires statutory health warnings in all tobacco products’ packages.
Joint
Commissioner, Food Safety Shri K Anil Kumar explained that products such as
gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine have been banned in Kerala
as per the 2011 regulation of the Food Safety and Standards Act of India, 2006.
As per this, tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as an ingredient in any
food product and that the product should not contain any substance that is
injurious health. He also sought stronger
coordination between Food Safety and other implementing departments such as
Police and Health for effective enforcement of the ban in Kerala.
District
Health Officer (Rural) Shri PK Raju presented field-level experiences on
implementing COTPA. Highlighting a circular issued by the local self government
department in 2011, he pointed out that setting up of ‘no smoking’ boards are a
precondition for issue of Factory Licences and Dangerous & Offensive Trade
Licences under the Kerala Panchayat/Municipality Acts. Secretaries of Local
Government Institutions have been directed to display boards prohibiting
smoking at public places and premises of offices under their control, Shri Raju
added.
In
his opening remarks, Shri S Jayaraj, State Coordinator, Tobacco Free Kerala
spoke about smoking in public places which violates Articles 21 and 47 of the
Indian Constitution. Article 21 is about protection of life and personal
liberty and Article 47 calls upon the State to improve public health.
Tobacco use victim Shri
Sukumaran narrated the physical and financial hardships he had to face
following tobacco induced oral cancer. The workshop was organised by Trivandrum
City Police together with Tobacco Free Kerala – a coalition of like-minded
organisations formed for tobacco control in Kerala. More than 30 officers
participated in the programme.
