There has been a drop in the amount of fine collected from violators of the ban on smoking in public. Until two months ago officials monitoring the Smoke Free Chennai project collected Rs.2 lakh a month, but in the last two months it has fallen to Rs.1 lakh.

Project coordinator S.J. Govardhan says since April 27, 2010, when fine began to be imposed on violators, around Rs.18 lakh has been collected in Chennai from 15,971 persons for violating the ban. Across the State, Rs.50 lakh has been collected as fine and deposited to the government treasury, Dr. Govardhan said.

On why there has been a drop, officials said patrolling needed to be intensified. There is also a requirement for patrol vehicles, he added. Officials of the Smoke Free Chennai Project in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine have sought more vehicles and personnel to carry forward the campaign, the funds for which would come from the fine collected, Dr. Govardhan said. At present, Chennai has four patrol vehicles, and the enforcement squad includes two health inspectors and a police official.

The Cell has developed special stickers for Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses. In the next few months, stickers would be pasted on suburban trains too.

Awareness programmes

The State Tobacco Cell has been conducting awareness campaigns for the past year in various government departments to sensitise them to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 2003.

The Centre for Tobacco Control, Cancer Institute, which held awareness programmes for heads of schools and colleges recently, found that since the World No Tobacco Day was observed on May 31, when a majority of schools are closed for vacation, children and teachers remained largely unaware of the significance of the date.

“Though educational institutions are informed about the need for tobacco control, the tobacco industry's marketing technique among children and the guidelines issued by the government to declare an institution tobacco free, it will be a long way before the message gets across effectively,” said E. Vidhubala, assistant professor and in-charge of Resource Centre for Tobacco Control, Cancer Institute.

“Recently, we held an awareness programme to find out how many heads of institutions had understood the provisions of COTPA,” she said.

Recalling his experience at the Cancer Institute workshop, Chennai School headmaster S. Srinivasan said, “It was a revelation to me that the boy who supplies tea to us at school sells tobacco products after school hours. I have told him that stern action would ensue if he did not stop it right away.”

Principals of private and corporation-run schools have welcomed the Central government decision to empower school principals with the authority to issue challan to violators. Seethalakshmi Viswanath, Principal of Amrita Vidyalaya, Nesapakkam, said, “We normally do not encourage even fruit vendors. Empowering us to fine violators is a welcome move.”

On how heads of educational institutions would be held responsible for tobacco-free environment in the areas surrounding them, Dr. Govardhan said, “We will take action against the heads of the institutions if we find that they have not issued challans to the violators.”