Friday, July 29, 2011

principals teachers can now challan tobacco sellers

29 July 2011

PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS CAN NOW CHALLAN TOBACCO SELLERS

From Our Delhi Bureau

NEW DELHI: School principals and teachers and a host of other authorities, including university vice-chancellors, are being empowered through a notification to challan and fine anybody selling tobacco products in the vicinity of the educational institutions.

The Health Ministry chose to notify who all can take action under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution Act (COPTA) of 2009 banning the tobacco sale within 100-metre radius of schools and colleges.

The notification had to be issued under sections 6(a) and (b) of the Act after noting that the state governments were not implementing the ban effectively, the ministry sources said. All educational institutions are required to put a display board stating that sale of tobacco products within 100 metres of their premises is prohibited.

The Panchayat Raj Institutions representatives, including chairpersons, sarpanchs and panchayat secretaries, food and drug officers, municipal health officers and junior labour commissioners as also directors and joint directors of health and education departments, block development officers, and nodal officers of sate and district tobacco control have been empowered to implement the ban on sale of the tobacco products in the vicinity of the educational institutions.

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