Press Release

Tobacco Control by Kerala Police nets 19.2 lakhs

Thiruvananthapuram, April 28 Proactive tobacco control action taken by the Kerala Police has brought Rs 19.2 lakhs to the exchequer in just five months from last October to February 2013. As many as 11,299 persons were fined/challaned for violating the provisions of the Indian tobacco control law COTPA, 2003 during the aforesaid period. Police have also stringently acted against violators of the ban on smoking in public places; a total 9,885 persons were fined/challaned across 20 police districts, netting Rs. 15.75 lakhs. For the sake of administrative convenience, 14 districts in the state have been grouped under 20 police districts. Between districts, ban on smoking in public places is found to be most enforced in Ernakulam Rural where 3,793 persons were fined or challaned. Kannur district logs in second with action recorded against 3,172 persons. Starting with nil cases in the month of October, Kannur police has consistently stepped up action and has collected Rs. 6.34 lakhs from public smokers. The case of Idukki district also shows an encouraging upward trend, in terms of action against violators of ban on public smoking. From 6 cases of violations in October, the district has recorded 65 cases in February. Sale of tobacco products to minors has also invited police action; 1,248 persons were fined/challaned and Rs 2.26 lakhs was collected from violators. Under COTPA, Sections 4, 6 (a) and 6 (b) are compoundable offences (cases in which compromise can be achieved and trial avoided) and violators can be fined up to Rs 200. In the case of Section 5, the first offence will attract a fine of Rs 1,000 or 2 years imprisonment or both while subsequent offences will invite a fine of Rs 5,000 or 5 years imprisonment. The key COTPA provisions against which Kerala Police has begun action include prohibition of smoking in public places (Section 4); prohibition on all forms of direct / indirect advertisement, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products (Section 5); prohibition and sale of tobacco products to minors (any person who is under eighteen years of age (Section 6 a); prohibition and sale of tobacco products in an area within a radius of one hundred yards of any educational institution (Section 6 b) and mandatory depiction of specified health warnings on all tobacco products (Section 7). This information forms a part of the detailed district, month and section-wise breakup made available in the official website of Kerala Police website http://www.keralapolice.gov.in/newsite/cotpa.html last week. This welcome move to upload data on police action against violators follows a circular vide 34/2012 by the DGP Shri KS Balasubramanian in which District Police Chiefs were directed to record information on total number of persons fined/challaned and the amount collected thereof, against the various sections of COTPA. Police Chiefs were also asked to include police action against COTPA violations as an agenda item of their monthly crime review meetings. Ends

Saikripa, 289, PTP Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram 695 038, Kerala || T: 0471-2361026 || E: tobaccofreekerala@gmail.com ||