Government has taken measures including, inter alia, the following to discourage the consumption of tobacco products:

(i) Enactment of the “Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, (COTPA) 2003”.

(ii) Ratification of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

(iii) Launch of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in the year 2007-08, with the objectives to (a) create awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption, (b) reduce the production and supply of tobacco products, (c) ensure effective implementation of the anti-tobacco laws and (d) help the people quit tobacco use through Tobacco Cessation Centres.

(iv) Notification of rules to ban smoking in public places.

(v) Notification of rules to regulate depiction of tobacco products or their use in films and TV programmes.

(vi) Notification of rules on new pictorial health warnings on tobacco product packages.

(vii) Launch of public awareness campaigns through a variety of media.

Government of India has issued regulations under the Food Safety & Standards Act 2006 which lay down that tobacco or nicotine cannot be used as ingredients in food products. Manufacturing or sale of certain smokeless tobacco products has been prohibited under these regulations. Tobacco products are regulated by the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA 2003), which contain provisions, inter alia, relating to ban on sale of tobacco products by/to minors, ban on sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions, ban on promotions/advertisements of tobacco products, etc.

The Minister of State (Health), Shri Shripad Yesso Naik stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.