The authorities will strive to make Mysuru a ‘tobacco-free city’ by ensuring compliance with Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, enacted to reduce the use of tobacco products.
At a review meeting held in the city recently, the authorities spelt out the measures taken to implement COTPA to ensure reduction in tobacco consumption.
A release stated that the Mysuru district administration has taken steps to increase compliance to the Act in the district to safe guard public health.
Kusuma, District Surveillance Officer and Tobacco Control Program officer, said the District Tobacco Control Cell (DTCC) under the District Health Department has taken various steps for effective implementation of COTPA 2003.
“We are planning and working towards making Mysuru a Tobacco Free City where transport, education and public places will be compliant to COTPA 2003. This would require the cooperation of all the departments who should actively participate in the enforcement of tobacco control laws,” she added.
The police, represented by ACP C. Gopal, was already taking actions on those violating Section 4 of COTPA. Proactive steps taken by the police to educate students and youth about negative impact of tobacco and drugs were highlighted.
MCC representative Jahanara Tabassum said a circular has been issued to all restaurants and bars to remove any designated smoking zones in their limits in the interest of non-smokers.
Authorities also discussed various steps that could be taken to make Mysuru tobacco-free. This included the removal of all forms of tobacco advertisements, making transport and public places free of tobacco products and enforcing the ban on sale of loose cigarettes and bidis.
It was also decided to ensure that there would be no sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions and stress on the need to prominently display ‘No Smoking’ signs in public places, the release stated.