Experts for strict enforcement of tobacco laws

Public health experts, on Monday, stressed the need for strict enforcement of tobacco control laws, rather than just creating awareness on its harmful effects to deter people from smoking. 

Addressing a workshop, to educate enforcement officials on sections of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act to be enforced, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences Department of Epidemiology Assistant Prof Dr Vivek Gupta, said  while smoke free zones in public places, banning tobacco advertising, increasing taxes on tobacco, and addiction services were fine, in the absence of strict law enforcement, people were bound to break it. 

Stating that tobacco that kills half its users, he said, bidis were worse since they contained more nicotine and produced more carbon monoxide. 

Equal to four cigarettes

Elucidating chewing tobacco was just as harmful, he observed that in half an hour, a consumer ingests nicotine equivalent to that from four cigarettes. 

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Regional Director Dr N R Suresh said many were unaware of requirements to sell tobacco products. 

Spot check

A spot check carried out in Vijayapura to see how people were complying with the Act, he said they seized imported cigarette boxes since they did not carry health warnings covering at least 40 per cent of packaging, as required by law.

The latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey shows a third of Indians (35 per cent) use tobacco and it was on the rise.