Compliance Assessment of Tobacco Products to Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act in India with Reference to Third Amendment Rules, 2020

Objective: Tobacco use is associated with mortality in low- and middle-income countries including India with dual burden of smoking and smokeless tobacco (SLT). Aligning with the FCTC, India has made substantial amendments in strengthening graphic warning under Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) for sections 7,8 9 and "Specified warning". Compliance assessment studies are necessary to understand current status of implementation for packaging laws. This study aimed to assess the compliance of COTPA sections 7,8 9 and Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Third Amendment Rules, 2020 in Delhi.

Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted in two districts of Delhi selected by simple random sampling. Fifteen points of sales were selected from each district through purposive sampling and 57 smoking and smokeless tobacco products were collected with Indian and foreign origin. An observation checklist for product analysis was prepared and pack analysis done based on COTPA sections 7,8 and 9 along with Third Amendment,2020 which included pictures and warnings to be circulated in 2021.

Result: Total 57 samples has smoking (49.1%), smokeless (50.9%) with no SLT product of foreign origin. SLT and foreign products had low compliance of Section 7 and third amendment 2020 rules which includes manufacturing date and origin. Indian smoking products were highly compliant to section 8 and 9 whereas foreign and SLT products showed low compliance to section 8. COTPA Third Amendment Rules (2020) compliance was seen in Indian products with regards to SW (68.4%), PW (61.4%) and quit line (78.9%) with no compliance at all for foreign products.

Conclusion: Foreign brands and SLT products had low compliance with sections 7 and 8 of COTPA and its amendments (2020). Compliance with illicit trade and SW needs regulation and strict implementation of law for SLT products.