Activists: Introduce vendor licence for sale of tobacco, safeguard kids’ future

Vendors who sell tobacco in petty shops, bakeries, provision stores, tea shops, milk booths, pan kiosks and others must apply with BBMP and get a license by paying a fee of Rs 500.
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BENGALURU: While vendors have protested urging the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palike (BBMP)’s move to introduce ‘vendor licensing’ for selling tobacco products like cigarettes, bidis and gutka, those working for the welfare of children demanded that the civic body implements it at the earliest.

They argued that many vendors are blatantly violating the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) by selling tobacco within 100 yards of school premises; loose cigarettes and tobacco to children below 18 years and allowing public smoking around shops. They believe that vendor licensing will make vendors fall in line.

Vendors who sell tobacco in petty shops, bakeries, provision stores, tea shops, milk booths, pan kiosks and others must apply with BBMP and get a license by paying a fee of Rs 500. Violation of any the rules could attract fines up to Rs 5,000, with repeated violations leading to license suspension.

Speaking to TNIE, SJ Chander, Convenor of Consortium for Tobacco Free Karnataka, an organisation that has been working towards tobacco control for more than two decades said, “Children are especially vulnerable to risky behaviour as their prefrontal cortex, the front part of the brain responsible for emotional control, rational decision making matures slowly.

The glamourisation of tobacco use by celebrities makes the substance seem socially and legally acceptable. On the other hand, easy access to these products has been jeopardising their futures. It is the responsibility of the society to protect the future of our children. Therefore vendor licence must be implemented strictly and the BBMP should implement it at the earliest.

Studies have shown rampant COTPA violations, for which only vendor licensing is a critical step towards curbing this issue,” Chander said. General Secretary of Associated Management of Private Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) Shashi Kumar said, “Enforcing strict implementation of vendor licence will promote compliance with Section 6(b) of COTPA, which prohibits the sale of tobacco within 100 yards of educational institutions.”

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