While we would like to believe that it is primarily the youth who smoke cigarettes or ‘do drugs’ due to peer pressure or experimentation, the reality is much stark. Did we ever imagine that even our kids—children in school—are also getting exposed to this menace at a much younger age? However, this is the bitter reality. Data from numerous studies, research and surveys reveal a disturbing pattern where on an average children as young as 10 years are using tobacco products. With tobacco products within easy reach, they serve as the first step towards addiction.
Children Face an Elevated Risk
Over the last few years, the situation has only worsened. In 2012, the average age when a child began using tobacco products was 12 years and three months. However, in 2019, this age dropped to 10 years—indicating the elevated risk that our children are exposed to, at an even younger age.
Certain pockets in the country, such as the Northeastern states, especially Mizoram and Assam, need immediate attention, where tobacco abuse has been able to make inroads among children who are just six years old.
Recently, Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, released the National Fact Sheet on Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS-4), India, 2019. The report is an eye-opener, highlighting the high prevalence of tobacco consumption among school-going children aged 13-15 years.
According to the Survey findings, nearly one-fifth of students aged 13-15 have used tobacco in one form or the other (smoking, smokeless, and other forms). However, in the last 30 days when the survey was carried out, prevalence of tobacco use among boys was 9.6 per cent and among girls 7.4 per cent. The prevalence of smoking tobacco was 7.3 per cent. In case of smokeless tobacco products, the prevalence was 4.1 per cent.
Need to Step up Efforts, Equip COTPA
Clearly, our children are increasingly falling prey to the menace of tobacco. We must step up our efforts to stem this problem before it is too late. I believe if Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act or COTPA is well-equipped with stringent rules and penalties, it can be an important tool in curbing the usage of tobacco, especially among children by restricting all forms of advertising at the point of sale and increasing the age at which youngsters can purchase tobacco. Recently, some amendments have been proposed to COTPA with a view to make it more effective. However, there is opposition to these amendments from those having vested interests in the ongoing tobacco trade.
The tobacco lobby, for long, has been trying to circumvent the laws, and putting the lives of millions of people at risk, in the process. Tobacco companies were mandated to prominently include statutory warnings such as ‘Tobacco consumption is injurious to health’ on their products. They circumvented these laws by advertising tobacco products under the garb of saffron, cardamom, rose, and other such materials. You may have also noticed that a lot of tobacco companies use film actors to entice young children into using tobacco products. You can well imagine the kind of influence this can have on a young mind when their favourite actor is promoting such a product. Similarly, many tobacco companies sponsor sporting events that have a wide scale and reach. All these factors have a multiplier effect, influencing young minds to begin using these products.
Having said that, I am confident that with the proposed amendments to COTPA coming into effect, such activities and surrogate advertisements will be considered a penal offence and attract strict action. These amendments will also help prevent the illicit trade of tobacco and other drugs at the borders, especially with Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The various fines prescribed by numerous Acts are too miniscule to act as a deterrent. Imagine a fine of just Rs 200 for a crime as big as pushing a child into tobacco use! I sincerely hope that the proposed amendments to COTPA will result in the revision of these penalties across relevant regulations so that the perpetrators cannot find an escape route in alternate regulations. I am hopeful that COTPA will emerge stronger once the bill is tabled and passed in Parliament.
NCPCR Advocates Amendments to COTPA
In addition to giving voice to strengthening COTPA, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is collaborating with various ministries and government bodies to shoulder the responsibility of protecting our future generation from addiction to tobacco and drugs. We have taken initiatives at the school level wherein children can participate in such activities, understand the ill-effects of tobacco, and grow up as responsible citizens.
We have created Prahari Clubs in schools, where children are mentored by Gandhi Smriti Darshan Samiti and maintain vigilance within a defined perimeter of the school. We are also installing cameras at school premises to monitor illicit activities. Furthermore, to curb the sale of scheduled drugs without prescriptions as well as to protect children from intoxicants through sale of cough syrups etc., we are installing cameras at medical stores and pharmacies. The nearest police stations will monitor these activities.
As a statutory body working under the Ministry of Women and Child Development to protect the rights of our children, NCPCR would like to draw attention to the urgency of addressing tobacco abuse and creating adequate checks and measures to protect our children. We believe that the COTPA amendment is an essential step that must be taken as soon as possible.
The author is Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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