BENGALURU: The health department bagged the award for the best monitoring of tobacco control laws under the 2023 ‘Tobacco Free Youth Campaign’ with 15.7 lakh cases booked in the last decade for violations under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), the highest in India.
Dr Rajani P, State Nodal Officer for National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC), said, “Karnataka is on top in terms of booking COTPA cases and creating awareness at the ground level since 2019. All district-level control centres have been taking measures to create awareness about creating tobacco-free education institutions (ToFei) in the state.”
Calling tobacco a gateway to drugs, she said nicotine is the most addictive substance and there is a need to reduce the cultivation and consumption of tobacco. Citing the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), she said tobacco use in Karnataka has reduced by 5.4 per cent from 2009 till 2016. She received the award from the additional secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday.
D Randeep, Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare, appreciated the state’s multiple efforts in creating awareness and reducing consumption. With the state government banning hookah bars in September 2023, the department is also taking measures to ban certain kinds of herbal-based hookahs too. Recognising institutions that have been making efforts to ensure the implementation of provisions under COTPA has also encouraged state and district-level officers, he added.
However, public smoking continues to be a cause of concern, he said, adding that hey are working towards strict implementation of public smoking only in designated smoking areas. The state is also aiming to create a ‘tobacco-free generation’ by 2030. They plan to ensure non-availability of tobacco products among all citizens born after 2012, to create a generation completely free from tobacco. The state is aiming to reduce the current tobacco prevalence from 22.8 percent to 15 percent by 2030.