Nine years after the law was first put in place, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Friday issued a circular stating that the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (Copta) — banning the sale of tobacco and tobacco products within 100 yards of the educational institutions and to minors — be implemented strictly across the city.
The circular states, “According to the provisions of the Copta, no person can sell, offer for sale, or permit sale of cigarette or any other tobacco products to any person who is under 18 years of age, and in an area within a radius of 100 yards of any educational institution.”
The health committee chairman of the BMC, Geeta Gawli said, “This is indeed a positive development, and steps will be taken to ensure that the Act is duly implemented. Action will be taken against the illegal stalls and vendors, especially the ones near educational institutions.
Moreover, all posters and banners advertising the tobacco products will have to covered.”
The circular by the civic body also states that owners of tobacco-selling shops will have to display a board with a warning at the entrance. The fine for the violation of the Copta may extend to `200 in addition to seizure of goods and revoking of licences.
However, while the BMC is pulling up its socks, the state government has subsidised the sale of tobacco, by rolling back tax levied on tobacco products. Deputy chief minister had recently announced that the tax has been brought down from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent.
Speaking about the state’s move, Devika Chadha, programme director of Salaam Bombay Foundation said, “The decision to partially rollback taxes on tobacco is a big blow to tobacco control programmes in the state. Children are at high risk, as we are bringing this toxic substance within their reach instead of taking it away. Only a month ago, we applauded Mr Pawar’s favourable stand against tobacco. We are shocked to see him soften his stand, and want him to reintroduce the taxes as imposed earlier.”
Commenting on the rollback of the tax, senior oncologist and surgeon at Tata Memorial Hospital, Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi said, “Maharashtra has the lowest tobacco tax rates in the country. And this is only because some very senior politicians run the bidi industry, which makes hundreds of crores of rupees, and taxing would mean lesser profits.
Though the chief minister had taken positive steps, the coalition politics is responsible for the roll back. It is a state sponsored crime against humanity.”