Awareness and compliance to anti-smoking law in South Bengaluru, India
نویسندگان
چکیده
INTRODUCTION Tobacco smoke affects the health of non-smokers by exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS). The Indian Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (COTPA) Act 2003 Section 4 aims to reduce exposure to SHS. Awareness and compliance to COTPA are key to achieving its intended outcome. We assessed: a) awareness among persons responsible for compliance (PRC) and authorized officers (AO), and b) compliance of public places to COTPA in South Bengaluru, India. METHODS A cross-sectional assessment of public places in South Bengaluru was conducted using time-location sampling. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s observational and interview checklist was used to assess compliance of public places to COTPA and awareness of COTPA among PRC/AO, respectively. RESULTS Among 359 public places, one-third of the public places showed complete (1.9%) or partial compliance (28.1%). The majority (93%) of the PRCs and all AOs were aware of COTPA. However, they lacked information on the different provisions of the Act. Violations like persons smoking (3.9%), visible ashtrays (6%) and cigarette butts (13%) were noted more among eateries compared to other public places. Among those public places supposed to have designated smoking-areas, only 19% complied. CONCLUSIONS This is the first representative survey of awareness and compliance of COTPA in Bengaluru City. Low compliance, coupled with the lack of appropriate awareness among PRCs and AOs about COTPA, demands a comprehensive strategy to enhance awareness. Comprehensive efforts towards making all stakeholders understand the health impacts of smoking, and strict enforcement, might facilitate effective implementation of COTPA. Awareness and compliance to anti-smoking law in South Bengaluru, India Pradeep S Banandur, Muthkur V Kumar, Gururaj Gopalkrishna
منابع مشابه
Pre-travel Preparedness of International Students Undertaking Electives in a Medical College in Bengaluru City, South India
Introduction: The number of foreign travelers arriving in India has shown an exponential increase from 1.2 million in 1981 to 8.03 million in the year 2015, with an annual growth rate of 4.5%. With the influx of internationally mobile students to developing countries such as India comes the responsibility of having to cater to the health needs of these visitors. The current stu...
متن کاملCorrelation of skin color and gingival pigmentation patterns in a group of South Indians in India
Background: Melanin pigmentation of the gingiva occurs in allethnicities. Excessive pigmentation is an esthetic concern thathas increased awareness about depigmentation procedures. Thepurpose of the present study was to correlate the skin color andgender with the intensity and distribution of gingival melaninpigmentation in a group of South Indians for treatment strategies.Method: Two hundred m...
متن کاملSmoking Pattern in Family Members of Smokers in Slums of Surat City, Western India
Background: The relationship between becoming a smoker and having smoker parents, siblings, and relatives is still uncovered in India. The influences of a smoking role model in a family on smoking habits of individuals are yet to be revealed. This study aimed to understand the relationship of smoking abuse of a person with smoking of their family members. Methods: This community-based cross-sec...
متن کاملSalivary thiocyanate levels among tobacco users, non-users, and passive smokers: A biochemical study
BACKGROUND AND AIM: The prevalence of tobacco use and its associated mortality is increasing worldwide. Biomarkers in saliva, such as thiocyanate levels, have been shown to be a suitable indicator for smoking. The present study is conducted to determine the thiocyanate levels in saliva and compare them among tobacco (smoking and smokeless) users, passive smoker...
متن کاملKnowledge and Awareness of Primary Teeth and Their Importance among Parents in Bengaluru City, India
INTRODUCTION Often people responsible for the oral care of children feel or believe that since primary teeth will eventually shed, it is not worthwhile to spend time/money on providing good oral health to children. Parents are the ones who take care of their children and make decisions for them. Hence, they should have knowledge about primary teeth, their health and caring in order to build con...
متن کامل