Over Rs 5 cr fine collected from vendors selling tobacco within 100m radius of schools: Maha Health dept

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As per the data of the Health Services of Maharashtra government, a fine of Rs 5,85,57,887 has been collected across the state from the shopkeepers/ vendors for failing to implement the rule of not selling any kind of tobacco products within 100m radius of schools. There was an increase of over 60 per cent in fine as compared to the previous financial year.

The data is collected from various sources/departments of the government bodies at the district level. While this financial year, the government has collected over Rs 5 crore as a fine, in the previous financial year, the govt collected Rs 3,54,12,747.

Dr Padmaja Jogewar, Joint Director, Non-Communicable Diseases Control Program, Health Services, stated that the health department is committed to the strict implementation of the COTPA Act, 2003.

Dr Jogewar said, "We have given written suggestions to the Central government too, in order to control the vendor licensing. We are facing problems in implementing the COPTA Act 2003 and controlling the vendors within the 100m radius of the school. After an action is taken against them, they tend to start selling from the same spot again in a few days or weeks."

Speaking about the initiative taken, Dr Jogewar, added, "We are conducting multiple training of all the stakeholders at the district level for tobacco control, counselling of tobacco users, and conducting legal proceedings. Once the schools reopen fully, we will start taking awareness initiatives and create innovative activities to make students understand the harmful effect of tobacco products and control the usage of tobacco products among them."

According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS-4), 5.1 per cent of school students (between 13-15 age group) are currently consuming various forms of tobacco products in Maharashtra. 86 per cent of school heads were aware of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. Nearly 30,000 schools across Maharashtra are tobacco-free (do not have any street vendor and/or shop within a 100m radius of the school).

Among the 3,765 students surveyed, around 63 per cent of current cigarette smokers and 70 per cent of current bidi smokers bought cigarettes/bidis from a store, paan shop, street vendor, or vending machine. Moreover, 56 per cent of the students were not refused by the vendors/shopkeepers because of their age (13-15 year-old age group). Nine per cent of these students used tobacco products in schools.