Criteria for Tobacco-Free Villagesa
| Criterion No. | Description of Criterion | Corresponding Section of COTPA or Guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Signboards that say “No Smoking Area: Smoking and tobacco chewing are offenses here,” of 60 x 30 cm size, should be displayed at main public places. | Section 3 of the COTPA enforces warnings on signboards displayed prominently at the entrances of and inside public premises. |
| 2 | No smoking or chewing of tobacco inside the village by children, young people, men, women, aged, and other members/visitors. | Rule 3 of the Guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions prohibits smoking or chewing of tobacco inside the premises of institutions. |
| 3 | Direct and indirect advertisements of tobacco products are banned in the village. | Section 5 of the COTPA prohibits advertisement of tobacco products. |
| 4 | Display of posters on harmful effects of tobacco at prominent points in the village. | Section 3 of the COTPA. |
| 5 | A copy of the COTPA shall be available with the head of village council and made available at any time for all villagers. | Rule 6 of the Guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions requires a copy of the COTPA to be available from the head of the institution. |
| 6 | No sale and purchase of tobacco products inside the village and mandatory signage shall be displayed prominently near the main gate and on boundary wall of the village. | Rule 2 of the Guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions prohibits the sale of tobacco products inside the premises of and within a radius of 100 yards from educational institutions; it requires mandatory signage in this regard to be displayed prominently near the main gate and on the boundary wall of the institution. |
| 7 | The village council should pass the resolution to implement the COTPA in the village and strictly follow its provisions. | Not applicable. |
| 8 | A tobacco control committee must be instituted in the village; it can be chaired by the village council head, and should include 2 members of the village council, a teacher, at least 2 parent representatives, a member of the school management committee and village council, and local police. The committee should monitor the tobacco control initiatives of the village, meet quarterly, and report to the block-level administration. | Rule 7 of the Guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions requires the setting up of a tobacco control committee, which is chaired by the school head/principal and comprised of a school teacher and counsellor (if available), at least two students, at least two parent representatives, a local member of the legislative assembly, the Municipal Councillor, and members of community-based organizations. The committee is to monitor the tobacco control initiatives of the village, meet quarterly, and report to the district administration. |
| 9 | All prominent groups such as self-help groups, youth mandals (groups), NGOs, schools, women's groups, local committees, and school management committees should be tobacco free and take initiative to make the village tobacco free. | Emerged from discussion with village-level stakeholders. |
| 10 | Visitors/outsiders cannot carry tobacco products when they enter the village. | Emerged from discussion with village-level stakeholders. |
| 11 | The village council must take up tobacco-control initiatives, including following up on the TfV process during meetings and prohibiting visitors from consuming tobacco in the village. | Rule 8 of the Guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions requires the integration of tobacco-control activities with the ongoing School Health Programme of the State. |
Abbreviations: COTPA, Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act; SMF, Salaam Mumbai Foundation; TfV, Tobacco-free Village.
↵a Developed by Salaam Mumbai Foundation and village-level stakeholders, based on the COTPA (2003)12 and Guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (2009).19