Punjabis are chewing more than they can bite. On an average, two persons are caught every hour for violating the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 in Punjab.
The enormity of tobacco use in the State can be gauged from the fact that a total of 22,099 challans were issued to the violators in 2013, while the number of challans issued during 2012 was much less 13090. In the month of January alone, 1408 challans were issued to the smokers for violating the law. Notwithstanding, the number seemed far less in the wake of the revelations made in Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) that stated that nearly 24 lakh of adult population, including 15 years and above, of Punjab consumes tobacco product in some form or the other.
As per the John Hopkins experts, from these 24 lakh, nearly nine lakh Punjabis die prematurely due to serious illnesses such as cancer, heart diseases. Apprehensions are being expressed that the misuse of tobacco or tobacco products may rise further in the state with the State Government withdrawing its decision of increasing the value added tax (VAT) on cigarettes, by bringing it down from 55 to 20.5 per cent in the previous Cabinet meeting.
The development has also led to a demand by various Non-Government Organisations, or civil society representatives to create awareness among the people by strengthening the State machinery and not just to embark upon the challaning spree. They have, in fact, suggested “other ways to tackle the issue instead of decreasing the VAT”. The organisations maintained that laws need to be enforced followed by strict actions against the violators, besides tobacco taxation as a very powerful strategy to reduce consumption.
Among the highest violators of the COTPA, applicable to all products containing tobacco in any form, are the districts of Hoshiarpur, followed by Sangrur and Amritsar. “This is because we have set up task forces in districts, and also state and district level monitoring committees to take stock of the situation, and keep the tobacco use under control,” a senior official of the state Health Department told The Pioneer, requesting anonymity.
Citing “easily availability” of gutka or pan masala and other chewable tobacco products in the market in small pouches of Rs 1 each, official maintained that there’s lot to be done to make Punjab a tobacco-smoke-free State. Despite imposing ban on the sale of tobacco products or any other food products containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients across the State, the State government is clambering to make the entire state “tobacco free” as decided in 2012.
Now, it is aiming to make the entire State tobacco smoke free by the end of 2014. Already, 16 districts are declared Tobacco Smoke Free, with two more set to be brought under the ‘tag’ Blame it on the “loopholes” in the Tobacco Control Act, or failure of the State Government, the State Government’s efforts to check the use of tobacco has been tuned out.
“The situation in Punjab is quite severe as far as tobacco use is concerned. 90 per cent of the oral cancers are attributed to consumption of chewable tobacco products. Even as Punjab is among the States with lowest tobacco use, the situation is not so good,” added the official. The GATS also revealed that Punjab has 12 per cent tobacco use, with 6.5 per cent adults and less than one per cent of women chewing tobacco products. Out of these, 6.9 per cent smoke tobacco and 6.5 per cent use smokeless tobacco. The survey also revealed that in Punjab, 7.7 cigarettes were smoked daily, which is quite less.
To check the tobacco use, the District Task Forces have also been set up by the authorities to act against any person who commits any offence under Tobacco Control Act and its provisions at any public place. Besides, the official added that State and district level monitoring committees, to evaluate the anti-tobacco laws, and activities regarding educating the people about ill effects of tobacco use, have also been set up.
When asked the about the status of these task forces and committees, the official refused to comment. However, sources in the department indicated that the task groups have not been able to perform effectively in the wake of staff shortage.