Latest news with #NationalTobaccoControlProgramme
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Meghalaya cracks whip on smoking in public
Shillong: In a bid to protect public health and reduce tobacco use, the East Khasi Hills District Police have stepped up enforcement of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, targeting smoking in public places and illegal tobacco sales near schools and colleges. The Cantonment Beat House and Lumdiengjri Police Station in the state capital have led the charge, booking the highest number of violators under this initiative. "Enforcement is being carried out under every police station, outpost, and beat house across the district," a senior police official said. The district-wide action is part of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), implemented by the health and family welfare department under the National Health Mission (NHM), Meghalaya. "This campaign is not just about fines. It's about changing behaviour and protecting children, elders, and non-smokers from passive smoke. Our goal is a tobacco-free Meghalaya," the police official pointed out, adding that the initiative has received public support. Reacting to the drive against public smoking, a student of the St Anthony's College remarked: "There are kids and elderly who suffer due to smoke. Meghalaya Police are doing a great job saving lives". Dr Nabneeta D Mawrie, NTCP state nodal officer, said, "Tobacco causes 40% of all cancers and 90% of oral cancer. Eliminating it can save countless lives. We appreciate the police's active role".
News18
22-07-2025
- Health
- News18
Meghalaya Police collects Rs 1 lakh fine from smokers, issue over 1,100 challans
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Shillong, Jul 22 (PTI) In a crackdown on tobacco-related violations, Meghalaya Police have issued over 1,100 challans and collected nearly Rs one lakh in fines from individuals smoking in public in East Khasi Hills district alone, officials said on Tuesday. Smoking in public places is a punishable offence under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. 'We have collected close to Rs 1 lakh in fine and issued 1,100 challans to individuals who ignored the enforcement of COTPA in past three months," a police officer told PTI. The campaign, which resulted in 1,178 challans and fines totalling Rs 99,280 in just three months, has garnered strong support from the public and is being widely praised as a timely intervention to safeguard community health, he said. The intensified enforcement drive, part of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), implemented by the state Health department and the National Health Mission (NHM) is being carried out across all police stations, outposts and beat houses in the district. Personnel from Cantonment Beat House and Lumdiengjri Police Station have detained several individuals for smoking in public places and for selling tobacco products near educational institutions, a senior police officer in charge of the campaign, said. Authorities clarified that the operation is not merely punitive, but aims at encouraging behavioural change and protecting vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and non-smokers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. 'Smoking remains a serious public health threat, accounting for 40 per cent of all cancer types and 90 per cent of oral cancer cases," a senior official in the Health department said. PTI JOP RG view comments First Published: July 22, 2025, 20:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Mint
16-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Are quick commerce platforms operating in a grey zone with the sale of cigarettes?
NEW DELHI : The rise of quick commerce platforms in India has changed the way consumers buy everyday essentials, but it's also raised tricky questions about the online sale of cigarettes, a heavily regulated product. Platforms, such as Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart, allow online purchases of tobacco products, typically using a combination of minimal branding, self-declared age verification, and disclaimers about delivery restrictions near educational institutions. On Android devices, cigarette sales often route through "Lite" apps or mobile websites, sidestepping restrictions from the Google Play Store, which bans apps promoting tobacco. On iOS, these transactions are mostly possible via the primary app. Most platforms facilitate the sale of cigarettes by displaying plain white packs with only the product name, rather than displaying any prominent branding. They also seek self-disclosures around age. Zepto goes further, prohibiting users from purchasing tobacco products on behalf of underage individuals and stating that delivery personnel may check PAN or Aadhaar cards and even take a user's picture for age verification. Some packs also carry the mandatory "cigarette smoking is injurious to health" warning. In India, the sale, purchase, and advertising of tobacco products, including cigarettes, fall under the purview of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). Also Read: Yoga-wear brand Lululemon to launch in India in 2026, partners with Tata CLiQ COTPA broadly regulates tobacco, prohibiting smoking in public places, selling tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions, and restricting direct and indirect advertising and promotion of tobacco products. However, no Indian government notification or law explicitly bans the online sale of traditional tobacco products under COTPA, 2003. ITC executives were unavailable for comment. Philip Morris did not respond to emailed queries. 'Monitoring of tobacco-related violations under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) falls under the purview of the ministry of health. If any violation of the law is found, strict action is taken. The ministry of consumer affairs is also keeping a close watch on the sale of banned items such as cigarettes and e-cigarettes. If any online platform is found selling such banned products, action will be taken under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act," said a senior consumer affairs ministry official. It remains a "grey zone" enforced through advisories and general interpretations of existing laws. Meanwhile, India prohibits the sale and advertisement of tobacco products to those under 18 years. According to the National Tobacco Control Programme and data available with MOHFW as on date, 4,433 cases of violation under Section 6 of COTPA have been registered for selling tobacco products to minors. Ban on advertising "It is relevant to note that COTPA in its present form does not specifically regulate the sale of tobacco products or their advertisement on e-commerce or quick-commerce platforms. However, the general prohibition under Section 5 shall be applicable to such platforms as they are suppliers of tobacco products. Similarly, it can be argued that since advertisements at physical stores are permitted, such products may be advertised on such platforms," stated Akshat Pande, managing partner, Alpha Partners, a New Delhi-based law firm. Section 5 of COTPA prohibits those involved in the production, supply, or distribution of tobacco products from advertising or promoting their consumption, whether in print, virtual, or any other form. Exceptions apply only to advertisements on packaging itself or at physical stores where products are sold, subject to certain conditions. Pande argues that relying solely on consumer undertakings (self-disclaimer) for age and location verification is problematic, as the sale of such products to minors or within 100 meters of an educational premises is strictly restricted. While some platforms mention ID checks, these are rarely enforced in practice, he notes. E-mail query sent to the ministry of health and family welfare (MOHFW) remained unanswered. Quick commerce platforms lend themselves well to the purchase of daily-use products, including cigarettes. Given their popularity across metros and diverse user base, such platforms essentially make access to cigarettes easier. Tanu Banerjee, partner at Khaitan & Co., also adds that India lacks a clear, standalone law explicitly regulating the online sale of tobacco products. "COTPA primarily focuses on physical point-of-sale restrictions and does not clearly prescribe specific digital disclaimers. Simple self-declarations may not be robust enough to ensure compliance, especially when age verification is left to user consent without technological checks," Banerjee said. Ad watchdog support Furthermore, the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, outline disclosure requirements for e-commerce entities but do not specify disclosures for those selling tobacco products. Meanwhile, advertising watchdog the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) acknowledges that current listings on quick commerce platforms generally appear to comply with rules that mandate point-of-sale information: merely listing the product type with health warnings, without promotional content, imagery, or slogans. "Current listings on quick commerce platforms appear prima facie to be compliant with the rules, which strictly mandate adhering to point-of-sale information: merely listing the product type with mandated health warnings and no promotional content, imagery or slogans encouraging tobacco consumption," said Manisha Kapoor, CEO of ASCI. She added that the ministry of health and family welfare has issued advisories against online tobacco sales, citing enforcement challenges and underage access risks. Enforcement is evolving, and new formats bring new challenges in regulation, said Kapoor. 'Platforms are encouraged to adopt a precautionary and responsible approach. This is especially important because gaps may exist in enforcement, particularly around age verification mechanisms. ASCI encourages platforms to remain open to additional measures as the regulatory landscape evolves," she added. Also Read: Prada delegation set to visit Kolhapur over ₹1 lakh 'Kolhapuri' sandals India has a large population of users who smoke regularly. In fact, according to the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 38% of men aged 15 years and above in India use any kind of tobacco; the number was 8.9% for women. In fiscal year 2022-23, tobacco and tobacco products contributed ₹72,788 crore to the government's tax revenue. COTPA compliance India has stepped up measures in the past to deter people from consuming tobacco products. In 2023, the government extended the COTP (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products) film rules to OTT platforms, which became operative on 1 September these rules, all OTT platforms have to display anti-tobacco health spots, an anti-tobacco health warning as a prominent static message, and an audiovisual disclaimer on the ill effects of tobacco use as prescribed in the rules. However, Yuvraj Sharma, a Delhi high court advocate, said disclosures displayed by quick-commerce platforms fall short of full compliance with COTPA 2003. This may make access to tobacco products easier for minors. 'Section 6 squarely places the duty on the seller to ensure that tobacco is not supplied to anyone under eighteen years of age. A passive 'self-declaration" tick-box on a website or app cannot satisfy this statutory obligation. The same analysis applies under Section 6(b): the prohibition on sales within 100 yards of an educational institution binds the seller, yet the platforms shift the responsibility to the buyer by asking them merely to confirm their location. Such passive declarations do not discharge the statutory burden that inevitably rests on the seller," he said. Also Read: After Middle East, Reliance takes Campa to Nepal Email queries sent to Zepto, Instamart and Blinkit regarding the sale of tobacco products remained unanswered. Additional disclosures will materialise only when fresh compliance duties are imposed—either through court directives or new statutory rules, said Sharma. "In that landscape, Aadhaar-based or similar government-ID KYC at checkout appears increasingly plausible, as regulators look for concrete proof that sellers—not buyers—are bearing the statutory burden of keeping tobacco away from minors and other protected categories," he said. Meanwhile, the ministry of health and family welfare tracks violations related to the sale of tobacco products to those under the age of 18. Similarly, it acts against direct or indirect promotion through any form of advertisement that suggests or promotes tobacco use. (With inputs from Priyanka Sharma)
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
U.T. bags national award for tobacco control measures
Puducherry has bagged the 'Best Performing UT Award' in the Tobacco-Free Youth campaign 2.0, a national recognition conferred by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The award acknowledges Puducherry's efforts in implementing tobacco control initiatives under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) during the year 2024 25, an official release said. The Union Territory was lauded for its robust enforcement of anti-tobacco laws, particularly the yellow line campaigns aimed at preventing the sale of tobacco products near educational institutions. The administration's measure to declare numerous institutions as tobacco-free zones and conduct intensive enforcement drives in collaboration with the police department also came in for commendation, the press note added. According to the release, the highlights of the campaign in Puducherry also included the establishment of 20 new tobacco cessation centres across medical and dental colleges and primary and community health centres. Awareness programmes were also carried out across schools, colleges, and communities. The Department of Health and Family Welfare Services appreciated the sustained efforts of the District Collectorate, Police department, Education department, Social Welfare department, medical and dental colleges, field-level health workers, community health volunteers, and partner organisations for helping achieve the award.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Tobacco trouble: Over 4,000 Rajasthan kids found buying tobacco in 2024-25; over 40,000 challans issued to curb smoking in public places
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. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo 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.
