Smokers continue to defy ban in public

City police penalise 3,985 offenders in 10 months; collect `5.57 lakh fine

The city police who have been cracking down on the smokers in public have booked 1,127 offenders realising a fine of Rs 1.30 lakh, in a week long special drive conducted between October 27 and November 2.

According to the statistics provided from the office of Police Commissioner M A Saleem, the city police have been checking smoking in public, as it is banned under The Cigarettes and Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce Production Supply and Distribution) COTPA.

In the month of October alone, 700 cases were booked, where the department collected a fine of Rs 80,700. In the last 10 months from January to October, a total of 3,985 cases were booked and a penalty of Rs 5.57 lakh has been collected.

Unlike other cases, a fine of Rs 100 is levied on the violators, irrespective of them being first time or repeated offenders.

Police intervention

Barring traffic police, the police in law and order and crime sections have been entrusted with the task of reining in public smokers.

Accordingly, the police personnel have been keeping a vigil near schools and colleges, hospitals, court premises, stadiums, bars and restaurants, government offices.
Transit points like railway stations, bus stands, hotels and cinema halls are also under the radar.

The said law that was introduced in 2008, came to be implemented in the city from 2013, with regular checks. The main intention behind formulating stringent law was to check growing cases of cancer due to the consumption of tobacco products and affect on the health of passive smokers too.

According to police sources, it has helped instil a sense of fear among the smokers, who for the fear of being caught, look for secluded or safer places to avoid the sentinels.
DH News Service