The Union Health Ministry has accepted a proposal to prohibit the sale of loose cigarettes (as single sticks) and raise the minimum legal age for sale of tobacco products, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Another proposal of an expert committee formed by the Ministry is to increase the fine for violation of certain provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA), 2003, and make such offences cognisable.
The panel, headed by Ramesh Chandra, former Principal Secretary, Delhi government, recommended substantially increasing the penalty for violating the rules for carrying pictorial warning signs on cigarette packets.
The proposals are yet to be sent to the Cabinet for approval as the Ministry is awaiting comments from other Ministries. The Ministry had set up the committee to recommend measures to bring down the consumption of tobacco products.
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