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Recently, the state government of Jharkhand made it mandatory for all state government employees to submit an affidavit stating that they will abstain from consuming any form of tobacco.
Key highlights of the issue
- This decision was taken at a meeting of the National Tobacco Control Programme’s state chapter, headed by Jharkhand Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh
- The decision aims to implement the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA).
- The state government plans to implement it from April 1 2021
- With this, the state government employees have to submit an affidavit stating that they will not consume tobacco
- It will include the tobacco products such as cigarettes, bidi, khaini, gutkha, pan masala, zarda or supari as well as hukka, e-hukka, e-cigarettes and tobacco products being used by any name — smoking and smokeless
Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA)
- COTPA was enacted in 2003 to prohibit advertisement of, and to provide for the regulation of trade and commerce in, and production, supply and distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products in India.
- The Act was enacted by the Parliament to give effect to the Resolution passed by the 39th World Health Assembly, urging the member states to implement measures to provide non-smokers protection from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke.
- The Act prohibits smoking of tobacco in public places, except in special smoking zones in hotels, restaurants and airports and open spaces.
- It also prohibits the advertisement of tobacco products including cigarettes
- It also prohibits selling tobacco products to person below the age of 18 years, and in places within 100 yards radius from the outer boundary of an institution of education, which includes school colleges and institutions of higher learning established or recognized by an appropriate authority
Source: The Indian Express
