The Hindu : New Delhi News : `Enforcement may mar notification on smoking'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 11, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

`Enforcement may mar notification on smoking'

NEW DELHI, MAY 10. Even as the government has issued a notification banning smoking in public places and sale of all tobacco products to minors, sceptics feel the enforcement of the Act might tilt the game in favour of the tobacco industry.

"With the enforcement of the order issued lying in the hands of the police and civic agencies... it is anybody's guess as to how the Act is to be enforced," Vijay Panjwani, a Supreme Court lawyer, said here yesterday.

Given the corruption and casual attitude of people in these departments, the probability of the act being properly implemented across the country becomes far less, he said.

A member of the Pollution Control Board, Panjwani, suggested that the government could increase the tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products so that not many could afford to have them on a regular basis.

Echoing a similar concern on the implementation part of the act, chairman of an NGO `Consumer Voice,' Bejon Misra said, "the kind of money the tobacco industry has it can easily put pressure on the government and lure the general public."

The industry could put the government under pressure to go soft on the enforcement part while delaying the process of setting rules for packaging and labelling on the tobacco products, Mr. Misra said.

Not considering the notification even as the first step towards the country becoming a "no-tobacco nation", he said: ``if only in Delhi the Act is implemented in its true spirit, it would be great achievement on the part of the government."

Sincere monitoring of the compliance of the notification across the country only could do the magic, Mr. Misra said.

"Without sincere and honest efforts of the people in enforcing agencies the actual spirit of the notification would be lost," he said.

The Delhi Government, however, claims to discharge its duties well according to the Act.

About 400 people in the national Capital have been fined under the new regulation which bans sale, consumption and advertisement of tobacco and tobacco products at public places, Programme Officer for Anti-smoking in the government of the National Capital Territory, A.C. Tripathy, said.

There are eight squads in Delhi to patrol and punish those who are guilty. Each sqaud comprises of one officer of the rank of Chief Medical Officer, two other medical officers and two constables for patrolling, he said.

Under the new regulation, a sub-inspector can also challan a person for selling tobacco or tobacco products to a minor, he said.

After the notification, the number of people fined has gone up as the new regulations are more strict, Dr. Tripathy said, adding the State Government was also creating awareness, especially among children about the possible dangers of smoking.

There is a provision of fine of Rs. 200 for people who violate the rules and smoke in public places, he said.

PTI

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