Up in Smoke: Over 4k Raj kids found buying tobacco in 2024-25
Jaipur: Tobacco use among children and adolescents in Rajasthan persists despite well-known harmful effects of smoking and smokeless tobacco, the state's health department figures have shown.
According to govt data, children not only frequently purchase tobacco products from local vendors, but issue is also exacerbated by the fact that sales often occur in close proximity to educational institutions, directly contravening existing laws.
The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 explicitly prohibits sale of tobacco products to individuals under 18 and restricts sales near educational institutions.
However, enforcement has been inconsistent, with numerous cases of vendors caught selling tobacco to minors and operating within restricted zones.
In 2024-25 alone, Rajasthan health dept issued 4,020 challans under various sections of the law for selling tobacco to minors and another 1,123 challans for sales near schools, highlighting the pervasive nature of the problem.
While Rajasthan govt has received the national award for its rigorous enforcement of COTPA 2003, and the state has won top honours in the National Tobacco Control Programme for 2024-25, enforcement remains a challenge.
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Principal Secretary (Health), Gayatri Rathore, said the govt launched the Tobacco-Free Educational Institution initiative in Sept 2024, under which it conducted 14,725 awareness programs and issued 40,232 challans under Section 4 of COTPA 2003 to curb smoking in public places. Additionally, 15,765 individuals received counselling, and 7,539 were treated for tobacco cessation, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to tackling the issue.
However, gaps remain in the fight against tobacco use among youth, with continued public education and community engagement being crucial for reducing tobacco consumption among the youth.
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