World No Tobacco Day: Tamil Nadu Tops Tobacco Violations As Per NCRB Data
With a fairly significant difference, Kerala ranks second in tobacco-related offences with 9,132 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 6,397 cases, Rajasthan with 2,213 cases, and Karnataka ranking fifth highest with 1,139 cases
Tamil Nadu recorded an overwhelmingly high number of tobacco-related offences nationwide, with 26,451 cases under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, as per the Crimes in India, 2024 report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The Crimes in India 2024 report’s “Environment Related Offences” tables show that a total of 26,475 cases were recorded in Tamil Nadu, with only 11 cases under the Noise Pollution Act, nine cases under The Air (1981) and The Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, three cases under The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and one case under The Forest Act and The Forest Conservation Act, while reporting zero cases under The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
With a fairly significant difference, Kerala ranks second in tobacco-related offences with 9,132 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 6,397 cases, Rajasthan with 2,213 cases, and Karnataka ranking fifth highest with 1,139 cases.
The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, includes several measures to regulate tobacco use and protect public health. It bans the sale of tobacco products to anyone below 18 years of age and within 100 yards of educational institutions. The law also requires pictorial health warnings on all tobacco product packages sold in India. Additionally, smoking is prohibited in public places and workplaces under the Act.
Tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of cancer and several other non-communicable diseases worldwide. It is also the largest preventable cause of death, with nearly half of all long-term users dying prematurely from tobacco-related illnesses. In India, tobacco consumption continues to be widespread, with the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2016–17 estimating that 28.6% of people aged 15 years and above use tobacco in some form.
This article is written by Amatallah Waheed, an EFLU student, interning at Deccan Chronicle, Secunderabad.
