Tobacco sales to minors rampant in Hyderabad. Implementation of law remains a far cry

Hyderabad: A law is in place but its implementation remains a far cry, especially with regard to enforcement of ban on sale of tobacco products near educational institutions. The sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to minors is illegal under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 but action against people who sell the products is not satisfactory.

A reply to an RTI filed by Akshay Kumar, a child rights activist, reveals that offenders were not booked for almost eight years from 2008 to 2016, in any of the Commissionerates in the state capital. Under the Cyberabad Commissionerate, in 2018, 35 violators were booked and the police collected fines of Rs 7,000, while in 2019 until September, 64 violators were booked. In only 30 cases, fines were imposed, amounting to Rs 6,000.

Meanwhile, in Rachakonda Commissionerate, under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) Act, in 2017, three violators were booked and fined Rs 9,000. In 2018, 9 violators were booked and an amount of Rs 19,000 was fined. In 2019, till September 4 violators were booked and were fined an amount of Rs 8,500. As per the RTI response from the Hyderabad Commissionerate, from 2017 to 2019 (till September), a total of 15,370 violators were booked under the COPTA act and were fined an amount of Rs 10,09,669.

The Act came into effect in 2015 but the Hyderabad police began implementing it only in 2017, when 135 violators were booked and a fine of Rs 21,850 was collected from them. In 2018, the police booked 216 violators and collected Rs 44,603 were collected as fine. In 2019, however, only 40 violators were booked and Rs 5,450 was collected as fines.

Akshay Kumar says that no strict action against pan shops or stores that sell cigarettes within 100 metres of educational institutions had been undertaken so far. He further said, "There are several pan shops near the educational institutions, especially at Abids, King Koti, Himayathnagar and Narayanguda. There are many junior and degree colleges in these areas. You can see students smoking here every day after college."

Anjani Kumar, Hyderabad, City Police Commissioner said, "There are some lapses, but I guarantee that immediate action will be taken against the pan shops near schools and colleges. We will be taking up an enforcement drive against such offenders in the coming months." He said he was directing all the station house officers to ensure that there should not be any pan shop or cigarette shop near schools and colleges.