World No Tobacco Day: Minors in Mumbai can easily buy tobacco, says survey

There are 307 tobacco selling shops that operate within 100 yards of 122 schools. 30% don't have an operating license at all.

By: Shaloo Tiwari | | Updated: May 31, 2017 2:43 pm

A survey done by Salaam Bombay found out that minors are able to buy loose cigarettes easily. This is a serious issue and violation of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act(COTPA). There are a number of health problems due to smoking and we can see why – minors are able to access cigarettes easily. Also Read - Not able to quit smoking? Here's what cigarettes do to your body

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Under Section 6(a) of COTPA, it is an offence to sell cigarettes to a minor. The section also mandates the display of prominent signboard with pictorial warnings at the point of sale. It clearly states that the children are not supposed to be sold cigarettes to, and this survey by Salaam Bombay Foundation has found out how the law is being breached.

The survey:

According to the survey, we found on the site of Salaam Bombay, out of 313 tobacco vendors surveyed outside railway stations and schools, 975 sold loose cigarettes.Although there is a ban on the sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of an educational institution, 61% don’t comply with this ban. Breaking the law, there are 307 tobacco selling shops that operate within 100 yards of 122 schools. 30% don’t have an operating license at all. This makes it very easy for the minors to buy cigarettes.

We have seen minors hanging around and smoking outside schools or near some paan wallas. Do you think the laws are implemented at all? Why isn’t it implemented strictly and why are so many cigarette shops violating the law by being within 100 yards of a school? Many such questions need to be answered. Selling loose cigarette itself violates the rule of the pictorial depiction of the consequences smoking can cause because it is sold loose and the packet doesn’t go with it.

What do you have to say about this? Let us know in the comments section below! (Read: World No Tobacco Day: Tobacco, second leading cause of cardiovascular disease)

Published : May 31, 2017 2:36 pm | Updated:May 31, 2017 2:43 pm

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