CHENNAI: People who are averse to smoking in public places and wish to report violators of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) can now send a complaint through a new android app, ‘Tobacco Monitor App’. The app is reportedly the first of its kind in India to lodge complaints on tobacco and tobacco industries.
“We receive about 15 official complaints about violation of COTPA a month, and several who smoke in public places. Besides this, we get hundreds of oral complaints. For most of the complaints, there won’t be any evidence, so we came up with this app. The user can click a picture of the violation, and send it as proof. After verifying it, we will forward it to the State Tobacco Control Cell for action,” said S Cyril Alexander, national convener, National Forum for Tobacco Eradication who developed the app.
It was launched by music director James Vasanthan on Saturday, who said exhibition of smoking scenes in the movies should be banned.