Anti-tobacco drive: Govt cites lack of support from police

Facing hurdles in conducting enforcement raids under the Tobacco Control Act due to alleged lack of cooperation by the police, the Delhi government has decided to ask the city police chief to issue necessary instructions to his subordinates in this regard.

The Delhi government’s Health Department, which runs the Tobacco Control Programme, has a major role in creating awareness about the ill effects of tobacco consumption and sensitising people. For enforcement, however, it is dependent on other departments, especially the police without whose help raids are not not possible.

“For the last three weeks, we are trying to conduct enforcement raids in the south district and despite prior advance communications to the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and SHO of Safdarjung Enclave Police Station, we could not conduct the drive on February 11 and 19 as police stations did not provide the necessary manpower on both days,” Dr S K Arora, Additional Director (Health), said.

He said during the enforcement raids, individuals, organisations, vendors, restaurants etc are challaned for different violations under the Tobacco Control Act.

Police department, Municipal Corporations, Department of Industries, Food Safety and Excise/VAT should also be made to conduct raids for tobacco control as self initiative which is very much lacking and is the major cause for poor enforcement drives, said Arora.

“We have decided to write to Delhi police Commissioner to issue strict instructions to the police stations in this regard. We will also write to the departments concerned seeking cooperation for conducting such raids,” he said.

The city government, which is keen on making Delhi tobacco free, has also launched a series of initiatives including observing dry day for tobacco on the last day of every month and tobacco-free Delhi initiative in health, education, transport and police departments.

The Delhi government has already banned sale, purchase and storage of chewable tobacco products but has not been able to implement it because of court cases filed by some tobacco manufacturers which are still pending.