The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is likely to introduce proposed amendments to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA) during the monsoon session, a senior official said on Thursday.
Public opinion The Ministry had made the draft proposals available in the public domain in January and invited comments, which have been received in “overwhelming numbers”, the official said.
“We don’t see it being introduced in Parliament during the current (Budget) session. We should catch the next session,” the official said, adding that comments on the proposed amendments are being studied and inter-Ministerial consultations will be held soon.
The public service advertisements and posters for the anti-tobacco campaign have been prepared by the Health Ministry along with the World Health Organisation, the Public Health Foundation of India and Hriday.
BP Sharma, Secretary, Health Ministry, said even as the number of smokers in the 30-years plus age group had decreased, it was distressing to know that youth, and particularly more women, had been picking up the habit.
According to a study conducted by the Ministry, the total economic cost of diseases attributable to tobacco among people in the 35-69-years age bracket stood at over ₹1 lakh crore — over one per cent of the gross domestic product.
The government is also planning a survey to gauge the impact of increasing taxes on tobacco products, especially cigarettes, ban on smoking in public, graphic warnings and others. The survey is likely to conclude in 2016.
Facing flak The amendments proposed by the Ministry have been facing flak from the industry.
According to a Ministry official, 10 teams have been assigned to go through ‘70 gunny bags’ full of complaints and opposition to the proposals, which include banning use of tobacco in any form in public, blanket ban on advertisements even at points of sale and on packs, increasing the age limit for buying, selling or dealing with tobacco to 21 years, and higher penalty for violations.