Soon you can lodge complaints of smoking in public places by using an application on your mobile phone. The State’s Tobacco Control Cell has developed a GPS-based mobile app ‘StopTobacco’ that will be launched soon.
If anyone is found to be violating the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA), introduced to reduce smoking at public places and to protect non-smokers from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke, all that needs to be done is to click a picture of the public place (not necessarily the person who is violating) and upload it on the mobile app. The State’s anti-tobacco squad will rush to the spot and slap a penalty on the violator. If required penal action will also be initiated.
Passive smokers
Although the State has approximately 4 crore non-tobacco users who are exposed to tobacco smoke in one or the other form, these passive smokers, so far, do not have any platform to register complaints to authorities concerned on smoking in public places. The mobile app will provide a significant citizen participation in tobacco control activities, said U.S. Vishal Rao, member of the State’s High Power Committee on Tobacco Control.
“We cannot be waiting for the police or municipal enforcing agency to be overburdened. This app will give us the opportunity to increase awareness about COTPA law and rules in public places, increase social responsibility for the citizens and impact positive health. This app draws a fine balance for awareness and enforcement,” Dr. Rao told The Hindu.
Although a similar system wherein complaints about COTPA violations could be lodged through email was put to use in 10 districts on a pilot basis in 2019, it could not be extended across the State due to the pandemic. Now the GPS-based mobile app will be put to use across the State, said a senior official.
How to use the app?
“After downloading the app, the photo of the public place where the violation is happening such as a shop, bakery, hotel, school/college, bus station, railway station, playground etc. can be clicked and uploaded. Then there will be an option to enter the district, taluk and mobile number of the complainant. The photo will reach the district tobacco control unit and forwarded to the taluk tobacco control unit. As the app is GPS-based, the location from where the complaint has been lodged will be highlighted on the map and the squad will rush to the spot,” the official explained, adding that seven-member squads have been set up in every taluk to act on the complaints.
Anyone who violates the COTPA Act by smoking in public places will be liable to pay a penalty of ₹200. Not just that, the shopkeeper who does not object to the violation will also be penalised. A handheld billing machine will be used to issue the receipt for the fine collected, the official explained.
