TNPFTC Expresses its Support for Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) Proposed Amendment Bill, 2020
30th January, 2021:
Tamil Nadu People's Forum for Tobacco Control (TNPFTC) welcomes the Proposed Amendment Bill of COTPA.2020. In the last 17 years since the law was first introduced in 2003, the provisions of the law have been used in countering the tobacco industry's tactics to advertise and promote tobacco use in India. However, in spite of the Government's best efforts to effectively enforce the law and our resolve to ensure that violations are adequately reported the industry has been able to target, especially children, through their indirect promotion tactics.
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(L to R) Dr. Meenakshi. President IDA Madras Branch; S. Cyril Alexander, State Convenor, TNPFTC; Dr. Surendran, Associate Professor, Department of Psycho-oncology, Cancer Institute; Dr. Chandra Gupta. Immediate past President, IDA Madras Branch |
In view of the increasing tobacco industry interference and circumvention of the law, there is an urgent need to further strengthen the law in order to make it more effective to prevent the tobacco industry from exploiting the existing gaps in the law. The opposed Amendment to COTPA presents a golden opportunity to ensure that the law is made stronger and effective.
Mr. S. Cyril Alexander, State Convenor, INPFTC states that TNPFTC already conducted a state consultation has been derived and recommendations has been sent to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare before 5 years seeking to increase the minimum age for sale of Cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 years to 21 years. The continuous monitoring through TNPFTC to curb the corporate social responsibility by the tobacco industries has come into existence with the proposed COTPA Amendment Bill 2020. I welcome this bill and strongly support for this amendment to get approved at the earliest so that with the various added provisions in this proposed amendment will strengthen the existing Tobacco control law.
Dr. Meenakshi, President IDA Madras Branch states that this proposed amendment of COTPA 2020 will create a Tobacco Free India and paves way for the Healthy Indian citizens
Dr. Surendran. Associate Professor, Department of Psycho-oncology, Cancer Institute states that "There is an urgency to bring out this proposed COTPA amendment Bill into force since tobacco industry's target is mainly the children and youth through their direct and indirect advertisement tactics. To discourage the youths to avoid using tobacco I strongly support for this proposed amendment Bill".
Dr. Chandra Gupta, Immediate past President, IDA Madras Branch states that “ As a practicing dentist, health care provider, frontline warrior, it is moral responsibility to render my support to strengthen the COTPA Amendment bill 2020.
For Effective implementation of Tobacco Control Law, TNPFTC requires more public support to create a smoke free environment. To suppon this proposed Amendment Bill of COTPA 2020
You can send your support and comments to cotpaamendment@gmail.com
And also click the below link to show support through this online campaign
For more details and Queries, please contact Mr. Cyril Alexander State Converur, TNPFTC
Mobile: 9444011035 or mail to cyrila@mactindia.org
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