The Health Ministry on Tuesday said it is actively working to reduce the tobacco use among the youth with ‘Tobacco Free Youth Campaign’ being held every year, in a bid to create mass awareness at the grassroot level.
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha in response to a question on the steps taken to restrict sale of alcohol and tobacco products near educational institutions, Union Minister of State for Health, Prataprao Jadhav, said under Section 6 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 a provision has been made to prohibit the sale of tobacco products to an individual below 18 years of age.
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Informing the House that under this Act, selling of tobacco products within 100 yards of any educational institute is prohibited, he said in addition to this, the Ministry released a revised guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) in 2019.
Jadhav also pointed out the Ministry enacted Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019 to prohibit the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement of electronic cigarettes and similar devices, which are harmful and has potential for initiating tobacco use amongst youth.
He further said the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education has also released ToEFI Manual to implement nine anti-tobacco activities and added that the compliance of the manual is monitored by the respective State/UT Nodal Officers.
The Minister added as per the Section 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 enacted by Ministry of Women and Child Development, giving intoxicating liquor or any narcotic drug or tobacco products or psychotropic substance to a child under 18 years of age, except by a doctor’s order, is prohibited and punishable.
