Include protection of children from tobacco in election manifestos

Bengaluru: In the backdrop of political parties gearing up for the assembly elections and involved in drafting election manifestos, Consortium for Tobacco Free Karnataka (CFTFK) a tobacco control organisation and Association of Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), a network of private schools that is involved of child rights protection have appealed to all political parties to include protection of children from tobacco in their election manifestos.

CFTFK and KAMS have submitted their appeals to all the political parties stressing the need to include in their manifesto to protect children, who are the hope of India from the harm arising out of tobacco consumption. There are many provisions in the existing tobacco control law - Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) that needs to be amended and strengthened.

The members of CFTFK emphasises that COTPA Sections 4,5,6 and 7 all have provisions to protect children, but there are lapses with enforcement and non-compliance by tobacco companies. Smoking by adults in public places is rampant which makes our children think smoking is a socially acceptable behaviour. Strict enforcement of Section-4 can change the thinking of children.

According to the General Secretary of KAMAS, D Shashikumar, even though tobacco advertisement is banned but tobacco companies engage with various forms of advertising. He feels strongly that children are being initiated into tobacco use as a result of glamourising tobacco use on screen by celebrities." Tobacco companies get away with glamour through their favourite celebrity by a disclaimer. The disclaimer has the least effect on children and young people. Indirect advertisement is another way that the tobacco companies deploy to lure children. Unregulated OTT platforms too is a source of attraction to smoking and chewing tobacco. These lapses can be checked by stricter enforcement of Section-5 of COTPA".

Nihad, a law student of CMR University said he is mainly concerned about tobacco products sold near educational institutions, even though COTPA Section- 6 bans selling of tobacco near educational institutions and sale of tobacco to and by a minor. The juvenile justice Act too addresses the violations of this section more strictly than COTPA, but the enforcing authorities have yet to use the provision. He said "I am much concerned about the advertisements at Point of sale as it is strategically targeting children by misleading them with flavours and attractive captions on the products too such as ' mint and mild".

The Convenor of CFTFK, S J Chander said, "Even though the tobacco companies lost their battle of reversing 85% pictorial warning, they deliberately blur the warning images both on the cigarette and chewing tobacco sachet." He is of the view that this is to mislead children from the serious health warning.

The senior Radiation Oncologist and President of Consortium for Tobacco Free Karnataka, Dr Ramesh Bilimagga said: "Nicotine, one of the over 7000 poisonous substances that tobacco contains, is as addictive as cocaine and heroin.