PANAJI
Tobacco consumption in India is a growing concern and studies reveal that the younger generation is getting addicted to it, thus posing great risk to their lives. To deal with the tobacco menace, and to protect the youth from taking up to tobacco use as well as to strengthen the National Tobacco Control Law, a discussion was held by the National Law School of India University with the chairman of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, representatives from retailers’ association, global and local experts.
All of these experts agreed that increasing the legal age of sale of tobacco products to 21 years, adopting comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising and promotion and banning sale of single sticks of cigarettes/bidis, would go a long way to prevent children and youth from initiating tobacco use at an early age.
In Goa, 17 % of 13“15-year-old students are exposed to tobacco inside enclosed public places which is a matter of concern. Nearly one-fifth of the students aged 13-15 used any form of the tobacco product (smoking, smokeless, and any other form) in their life in India. It’s critical to make sure we strengthen our laws and penalty provisions to deter tobacco companies from selling and advertising their addictive products to our children and youth,
said Dr Shekhar Salkar, national president, NOTE India.
The panellists discussed the lacunae in the ‘Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce Production, Supply and Distribution (COTPA) Act, 2003’ that are preventing effective implementation to reduce youth tobacco consumption. The Act was introduced in 2003 to regulate advertising, sale, and availability of most forms of tobacco products in India.
The Act prohibits the advertisement of cigarette and other tobacco products but does not regulate their advertisement at point of sale. Sale of single sticks is also permissible, increasing affordability and accessibility to minors to purchase tobacco products easily.
“Tobacco companies have been exploiting loopholes in the law to target impressionable minds of children and youth through their marketing tactics. It is critical to strengthen the law by removing all exemptions allowing point of sale advertisements and sale of single cigarettes/bidis to prevent them from endangering the lives of our young generation,” said Ashim Sanyal, chief operating officer, Consumer Voice.
