Smoking clamp on public areas fetch Tamil Nadu Rs 71 lakh

Shops warned against displaying cigarette banner advertisements

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu is strictly implementing the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product Act, 2003 and the state is ranked first when it comes to enforcing the law to ban smoking in public areas.

Dr P Vadivelan, joint director of public health told Express on the sidelines of State Level Consultation to strengthen National Tobacco Control Programme on Monday that the the state has collected fines worth Rs 71 lakh from those who violated smoking ban in public areas. Interestingly, of this amount, a total of Rs 27 lakh was collected from Chennai alone.

Vadivelan said that all imported tobacco products, including cigarettes in the duty free shops in Chennai will bear the new pictorial warnings about harmful effects of tobacco on health within a month.

“We are in consultations with the customs department and expect it will soon be implemented within a month,” he said. Interestingly, many nations, including Gulf countries, have made it mandatory for imported tobacco products to have pictorial warnings about the harmful impact of tobacco on human health.

Vadivelan also said that the health department officials have seized imported cigarettes worth Rs 50,000 recently from the Burma Bazaar in Chennai . He also said that

He also said that the corporation and health department are planning to crackdown on those shops using the advertising board to promote cigarette brands.

“We would like to warn shopkeepers using the advertising board at the point of sale to either remove it or it will be confiscated by the corporation and health department officials,” said Vadivelan.

Vadivelan said India is the fourth largest producer of tobacco in the world and a total of more than 90 billion cigarettes are sold in the country each year. He said more than 9,000 crore cigarettes are smoked each year and on an average Rs 18,000 crore are spent on cigarettes each year. He said the total sale value of all tobacco products is Rs 24,400 crore.

He also said the Smoke Free Chennai Project by the health department has curbed smoking in public places and has spread awareness among people. Also present on the occasion was Prasanna, WHO consultant, State Tobacco Control Cell.

Factfile:

India is fourth largest producer of tobacco

More than 90 billion cigarettes are sold each year in India

45 per cent Indian men use tobacco

12 per cent Women use tobacco products

Tobacco kills 90 people per hour