India: State Vows Strict Tobacco Fight

Source from:  The Telegraph 04/25/2016

The state will strictly implement the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) that mandates display of the the statutory warning on 85 per cent of the surface area of cigarette packets on both sides graphically and literally.

A high-level consultation meeting on development of state policy/guideline/protocol on Tobacco Industry Interference was held where chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, principal health secretary R.K. Mahajan and Bihar State Health Society officials were present.

As part of COTPA, it would also ensure that loose cigarettes are not sold in open markets, ban hookah bars and electronic cigarettes that contain a higher nicotine level. ITC has a cigarette manufacturing unit in Munger.

The chief secretary said: "According to COTPA rules, cigarette packets should carry statutory warning on 85 per cent of their surface area. The state will ensure that only cigarettes with such display are sold. Action would also be taken against dealers selling loose cigarettes."

Of the 85 per cent surface area on cigarettes packets, 60 per cent will carry the pictorial warning and the rest the health message in English, Hindi or any other Indian language. Sources said the state government must carry out awareness drives for youngsters.

In this direction, the health department will also screen a film, Price We Pay for Tobacco, and other films made by the Socio Economic and Educational Development Society at schools and colleges.

However, COTPA doesn't have any law on khaini (raw tobacco). SEEDS executive director Dipak Mishra said: "Khaini has still been kept out of the ban purview."

The non-implementation of most decisions taken in the third tobacco control-related meeting, chaired by the chief secretary, had cast a shadow on the state's seriousness about the programme.

The last meeting decided that schools would be declared tobacco-free zone. However, not a single Patna school submitted its compliance regarding its tobacco-free status. Shops selling tobacco products can still be found within 100 yards of schools in brazen violation of norms.

Moreover, many shops could be found selling banned tobacco products including pan masala at Patliputra, Boring Road and Kankerbagh.

A senior health official said: "It was also decided in the last meeting (held two years ago) that the tax on tobacco-related products would be increased up to 60-70 per cent. The government increased the tax on tobacco products from mere 13.5 per cent to 20 per cent in 2012 while it further increased the tax from 20 per cent to 30 per cent in 2013." Enditem