Government reinitiates process of amending Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act

The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), are been amended by the Union Health Ministry in a process to strengthen its provisions, including a ban on the sale of loose cigarettes and heavy fine for violation of rules.

The purpose is to make it more operative and more inclined to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) guidelines. Presently, the consequence for smoking in restricted areas is fine up to Rs 200.

The ministry had suggested several amendments to the 2003 legislation and put the draft Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Bill in the public domain in 2015.

The draft is been reviewed, and entire process is redrafted for a better version. 

The previous draft recommended an increase in the fine amount to Rs 1,000, organizing away with on-site advertising of tobacco products and eliminating the designated smoking areas from hotels, restaurants and airports.

A Nasha Mukti Abhiyan Task Force was formed with the health secretary as its chairperson and additional secretary and mission director of National Health Mission as its vice chairperson to express a full precautionary and promotive care strategy for addressing tobacco, alcohol and substance abuse last year.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.