The implementation of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) is expected to become more stringent in Mysuru in the coming days with the authorities fixing a target for Panchayat Development Officers (PDO) and Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) health inspectors to book cases under the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).
A district-level meeting of NTCP presided over by Additional Deputy Commissioner B.R. Poornima on Tuesday directed each of the 266 PDOs in Mysuru district to book a minimum 20 cases a month and each of the 45 health inspectors of MCC to book 10 cases a month.
This will be in addition to the cases to be booked by other authorised officials including the police department.
A total of 1,162 cases of COTPA violation had been booked in the district from April 2019 to December 2019 with ₹2,19,790 collected as penalty.
Out of this, a maximum of 1,013 cases had been booked under Section 4 of COTPA, which prohibits smoking in public places. Upto ₹200 can be levied as penalty for persons found violating this Section of COTPA.
Last week, FIRs were lodged against three tea shop owners in the vicinity of the suburban bus stand in Mysuru for allegedly selling loose cigarettes in violation of Section 7 of the COTPA Act.
Shivakumar, Mysuru district consultant for NTCP, told The Hindu that the State government had issued a notification outlawing sale of loose cigarettes.
Section 7 of COTPA prohibits sale of cigarettes without the specified pictorial warning on the package. Sale of loose cigarettes violates the provision, Mr. Shivakumar said.
‘Tobacco-free’ areas
The review meeting, which was also attended by Mysuru District Health Officer Venkatesh, sought information on steps taken by officials of various departments to declare government offices in the district “tobacco free”. The Education Department officials were also urged to ensure that all educational institutions are made “tobacco free” and action be taken to ensure that cigarettes and other tobacco products are not available within a radius of 100 metres from educational institutions as per the provisions of Section 6 of the COTPA. The provisions of Section 6 also prohibit sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to persons below the age of 18.
