NEW DELHI: A fine of 20,000 for smoking in public, banning the sale of loose cigarettes and increasing age limit for tobacco consumption from 18 to 25: these are some of the recommendations of the expert panel appointed by health ministry to review and suggest changes to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003 (COTPA). Other suggestions include making public smoking a cognizable offence.
If accepted, these suggestions could soon be a part of amendments the government is planning to introduce in the winter session of parliament to curb tobacco consumption.
Tobacco use accounts of 40% of all cancers in India. It is also associated with higher morbidity and mortality caused due to respiratory problems, heart diseases and Tuberculosis among others.
"This is the first time we have seen any government which is so aggressive about tobacco-control measures.
We are hopeful that they will consider the changes suggested," said Dr G K Rath, one of the experts appointed by the health ministry.
He said the existing anti-tobacco law has many loopholes and the manufacturers of tobacco-products are using them to market it to the vulnerable population. On implementation of the changes proposed, Dr Rath said the government needs to push for bigger changes only then it can achieve the minimum. "Ten years ago, who would have thought that people will stop smoking in offices or at airports? It has happened. Similarly, we can reduce tobacco sale by introducing stringent measures like this," he said.
Health minister Harsh Vardhan, senior officials in the ministry said, is on a visit to Bangladesh and he will return on Friday. "The minister has taken up the curbing tobacco consumption issue on campaign basis. The recommendations of the expert panel will be reviewed by him for further action and deliberations before it is included in the draft of amendments," the official said.
About 275 million Indians (35% of adult population and 14.1 % of children aged 13-15 years) are tobacco users, mainly smokeless tobacco. :eek:
According to a recent report prepared by the Public Health Foundation of India, total economic costs attributable to tobacco use from all diseases in India in the year 2011 amounted to a staggering Rs 1, 04,500 crores -12% more than the combined state and central government expenditure on health care in the same year.
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