Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has written to States to stop shops which are selling tobacco products from selling nontobacco products like soft drinks, chips, chocolates, etc.; and
(b) if so, the details and reasons therefor?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) & (b): The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has written letter to States/UTs for consideration of developing a mechanism to provide permission/authorization through Municipal Authority/Local Authority to the retail shops who are selling tobacco products with a condition/provision in the authorization that the shops authorized for selling tobacco products, cannot sell any non-tobacco product such as toffees, candies, chips, biscuits, soft-drinks, etc., which are essentially meant for children.
Such an initiative will prove to be beneficial in achieving the objectives of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA, 2003), especially preventing the children/non-user from the exposure to tobacco products as well as achieving improvement of public health in general as enshrined in Article 47 of the Constitution.