Chennai: Beware! Think twice before smoking in public places. A Chennai-based anti-tobacco forum has designed a new mobile application that will enable the general public to complain and this to be routed to the authority concerned for necessary action under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA, 2003). This is the first-of-its-kind mobile app in India and was launched simultaneously in six states on Saturday, a day ahead of World No Tobacco Day.
According to the National Forum for Tobacco Eradication (NFTE), the app will spread its reach across the country within a month.NFTE’s national convener S. Cyril Alexander told Deccan Chronicle that people can search for ‘Tobacco Monitor’ in Google playstore and download it for free.“To start with, only Android users can download it and in later stages the app will be made available for Iphone and windows users”.
The NFTE will receive the complaint on the app, verify the content/pictures before forwarding it to the respective State Tobacco Control Cell and civil society members for necessary action, he said.
The app facilitates the user to register 28 kinds of violations. The act prohibits smoking in public places; advertisement, promotion and sponsorship of all tobacco products, sale to minors, made issue of health warnings on tobacco products packs mandatory, print names of harmful contents prominently on tobacco products among others.
