Over 30,000 fined for smoking in public

The Maximum number of people were booked in the south-east districts of Delhi for violating the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), that prohibits smoking in public places”, Delhi Police said in a conference on Anti Tobacco drive on Thursday.

In a year-long drive, the southeast district issued 7,460 challans, the north district issued 4,592 challans and south district issued 4,039 challans. Special Commissioner of police, Law and Order (South) P Kamraj said more than 30,000 people were fined under the COTPA in the national capital.

 “We first trained and sensitised our police force on COTPA. Thereafter, we started taking action against people caught smoking in public places or selling tobacco within 100 yards of an educational institute,” the officer said. Kamraj said the objective of this initiative was to bring in behavioural changes in smokers.

 “We will sustain this important initiative so that behavioural changes take place in smokers, thereby helping non-users who suffer the ill-effects of passive smoking. We have to protect our future generation from evils like tobacco,” he added. 

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Jatin Narwal also concurred with Kamraj said they had seen that when college students were challaned for smoking in public, they felt that they were doing wrong. “They not only feel the financial pinch of paying the challan but also feel bad about being challaned by police,” the official said.

 Deputy Commissioner of Police, (Southeast) Chinmoy Biswal, however, said many times people challenge them about the law and they have to then explain to them it to them in detail.  “People challenge us and say, ‘The place where we are smoking is not a public place’. They are not ready to accept their fault but we try and explain them,” he said.