Inducing child to consume tobacco is punishable

Women and Child Development minister  Smti Maneka Gandhi has written to Health Minister  Shri J P Nadda drawing his attention to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which has a penal provision about inducement of children for tobacco consumption. She said she wants this statutory warning to be printed on tobacco products. She said while inserting the use of tobacco as one of the offences under the Act, she was conscious of the sinister designs of the tobacco industry to target vulnerable children as their new consumers.

 Smti Gandhi said, this insertion in the Act is a path-breaking anti-tobacco measure taken by any country in the world. She has informed  Smti  Nadda that she has also requested state governments and the police authorities to pay attention to the relevant section of the Act.  Smti  Maneka Gandhi also directed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to undertake extensive outreach activities in this direction.

Section 77 of the Act reads that if a person gives or causes to be given, to any child any intoxicating liquor or any narcotic drug or tobacco products or psychotropic substances, he shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment which may extend up to seven years and shall also be liable to a fine of upto one lakh rupees.