BHUBANESWAR: While cigarettes and chewable tobacco trade is on the rise in the State with 46 per cent of population addicted to it, implementation of Control of Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) could do little to check the sale and consumption of tobacco in the Capital City.
Under the Act, Police have to check sale of tobacco within 100 metres of educational institutions, public smoking and advertisement of tobacco products.
Even when it comes to nabbing traders of illegally manufactured gutkha and cigarettes, police intervention is limited to temporary detention while the offenders are booked by the Health Inspectors under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA).
These issues and clarifications on COTPA and FSSA were discussed at a training-cum-awareness programme organised by the Commissionerate of Police here on Wednesday.
While COTPA was implemented in the City in 2010, Commissionerate of Police had extended it to Cuttack on January 1 this year. Every year, around 6,000 to 10,000 violators are detected by the police and penalised. Most of the offenders under COTPA are booked for public smoking, Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma said.
“Raids will be intensified outside the campus of educational institutions for illegal sale of tobacco products and public places to check public smoking,” Dr Sharma said.
Experts from the Health Directorate and State Tobacco Control Cell apprised senior police officials of the scope of both the Acts during the one-day training programme.
Under the Act, Police have to check sale of tobacco within 100 metres of educational institutions, public smoking and advertisement of tobacco products.
Even when it comes to nabbing traders of illegally manufactured gutkha and cigarettes, police intervention is limited to temporary detention while the offenders are booked by the Health Inspectors under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA).
These issues and clarifications on COTPA and FSSA were discussed at a training-cum-awareness programme organised by the Commissionerate of Police here on Wednesday.
While COTPA was implemented in the City in 2010, Commissionerate of Police had extended it to Cuttack on January 1 this year. Every year, around 6,000 to 10,000 violators are detected by the police and penalised. Most of the offenders under COTPA are booked for public smoking, Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma said.
“Raids will be intensified outside the campus of educational institutions for illegal sale of tobacco products and public places to check public smoking,” Dr Sharma said.
Experts from the Health Directorate and State Tobacco Control Cell apprised senior police officials of the scope of both the Acts during the one-day training programme.
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