No Tobacco Day has little meaning in Manipur
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 31 2024: Even though the World No Tobacco Day is observed today across the world including India on the theme "Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference", the international observation has little meaning in Manipur.

Although the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 was implemented with effect from 200 with the primary objective of checking consumption of tobacco products, the State is unable to implement the Act to any degree of effectiveness.

COTPA 2003 prohibits sale of tobacco products to children below 18 and within 100 yards of educational institutes.

But the Act is hardly complied with in the State.

Tobacco products like cigarettes, khaini and talab are readily available to people of all age groups whether it is in urban or rural areas, and shopkeepers do not make any distinction whether a customer is below 18 or not.

Moreover, tobacco products are sold in the surrounding areas of many educational institutes in total defiance of COTPA 2003 .

It appears that most of the shopkeepers are little aware of COTPA 2003 and they have a notion that tobacco products can be sold to any customer anywhere.

In the course of brief chats with this reporter, some shopkeepers of urban and semi-urban areas revealed that they have little knowledge of COTPA.

As observed every year, the World No Tobacco Day is observed today (May 31) on the theme 'Protecting children from tobacco industry interference' under the aegis of the World Health Organization (WHO) and public health workers.

Notably, the National Family Health Survey-5 conducted in 2019-20 pointed out that 58.1 per cent of males and 43.1 per cent of females above 15 years in Manipur used tobacco products.

The second round of GATS (Global Adult Tobacco Survey) conducted in 2016-17 reported that 62.1 per cent of males and 47.8 per cent of females above 15 years in Manipur used tobacco products.

Even as The Sangai Express approached the relevant authorities to collect the latest statistics on consumption of tobacco in the State, the authorities conveyed that the latest survey has been delayed due to the Covid pandemic and the ongoing violent crisis.

Moreover, the office complex where the State Tobacco Control Programme's data are stored has been inundated, said the authorities. Meanwhile DESAM president Mayengbam Somorjit has expressed deep concern over the rampant use of tobacco products by students including girl students.

In the past, the number of individuals in a locality who used intoxicating substances could be counted on one's finger.

But these days, the number of individuals who do not use intoxicating substances can be counted on one's finger, he said.

Sale of tobacco products like pan, cigarette, talab etc in the surrounding areas of educational institutes and consumption of the same products by teachers have been drawing many students to these products, Somorjit said.

He highlighted the urgent need to launch an extensive awareness campaign starting from schools on the harmful effects of consumption of tobacco products.

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