title: Descriptive evaluation of cigarettes and other tobacco products act in a North Indian city.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  India is a signatory to Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and also enacted cigarettes and other tobacco products Act (COTPA) in 2003.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To undertake a comprehensive assessment (Section 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 under COTPA) of legislation against tobacco products in a North Indian city.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at 108 public places which included educational institutions, offices, health institutes, transit sites, and hotels/restaurants. Structured checklists with compliance indicators for various sections under COTPA were used. Different brands of tobacco products were observed for pictorial warnings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No active smoking was observed at 80.5% public places, while 54.6% places had displayed "No smoking" signage. About 68.5% public places were found free of evidence of smell/ashes of recent smoking, and 86.1% places had no smoking aids. Merely, one-third public places (36.1%) were complying with all Section 4 indicators. Around 42.3% point of sale had advertisements of tobacco products, and 73.1% had a display of tobacco products visible to minors. Around 60% educational institutions displayed signages as per Section 6b of COTPA, and 32.5% had tobacco shops being run within 100 yards of institution's radius. There was minimal smoking activity within the campus. Health warnings were present in 80.8% of tobacco products, more with Indian brands as compared to foreign brands.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The city of Chandigarh, which was declared the first smoke-free city of India, showed poor compliance with COTPA.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Health Management, School of Public Health, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Sonu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.affiliation: Masters in Health Care Management Scholar, Department of Health Care Information Technology, International Institute of Health Management Research, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Mohini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sardana
authors.affiliation: Research Coordinator, Indian Institute of Public Health, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Nisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Medical Officer and State Nodal Officer (Tobacco Control), Department of Health and Family Welfare, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bakshi
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007878:Legislation as Topic; D012907:Smoking; D062789:Tobacco Products