Administration to take stringent measures for checking sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions.
The administration has issued warning to hotels, shopping malls and commercial establishments to comply with the smoking ban or else be ready to cough up a fine of upto Rs200 if any person is found smoking in restricted area. Also, stringent measures would be taken to check sale of cigarette or any tobacco product within 100 yards of educational institutions.
The move came almost ten years after the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003 (COPTA) was passed.
“A fine of up to Rs200 will be imposed on the owner of the hotel, mall, restaurant, multiplex etc if the law is violated by any person. They will have to display ‘No smoking’ signage as per the regulations of The Control of Tobacco Products Act (COPTA), “ said COPTA district nodal officer Sandeep Soni.
According to Section 6A of the COPTA, selling of tobacco products to any person under 18 years of age is restricted. Similarly, Section 6B restricts sale of tobacco products within 100 yards (300 feet) of any educational institution.
“We will take help of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) to remove shops within 100 yards of educational institutions. Besides, the schools and colleges will be asked to ensure that
such shops are not running within the restricted area,” said Soni.
Section 4 of the Act bans smoking in all public places which refers to any place used or visited by the general public. It includes hotels, restaurants, coffee houses, pubs, bars, airport lounges, workplaces, shopping malls, cinema halls, educational institutions, libraries, hospitals, auditorium, open auditorium, amusement centres, stadium, railway station, bus stop, tea stall, dhaba and other such places.
“According to Section 4, display of prominent non-smoking signage is mandatory at all public places. They will also have to display the name and telephone number of the officer to whom the complaint should be lodged in case of violation of the law,” said Soni.
Administrative officers will lead teams in their respective area and take action on violation of the law. In other public places like offices, the work will be assigned to any official who will keep a watch and take action against those found violating the law.
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