Young India Network for Good Health

Owning Knowledge, Owning Action – My Journey from Social Work to Law through RTI and COTPA  If I had to name one thing that Nada India Foundation and Suneel Sir have permanently etched into my heart, it would be this: Ownership of Knowledge. This isn’t about collecting facts like stamps in an album. It’s about holding knowledge in your hands, understanding it deeply, making it a part of your thinking, and — most importantly — putting it into action. I first learned this lesson in my social work days, and I’ve carried it everywhere since — right into the heart of my legal journey. From Social Work to the Law Books During my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in social work, I worked on issues ranging from youth awareness to substance abuse prevention . Those days taught me that knowledge without application is like a library that’s never opened. When I transitioned into law school, I didn’t leave my social work instincts behind. I chose law as a career because it was another ...

  EDUCATIONIST, MEDICAL EXPERTS, GOVERNMENT BODIES AND NGOs CALL FOR EFFECTIVE TOBACCO CONTROL IN PUNJAB WITH HIGHER TAX AND STRONGER COTPA ACT EVERY CITIZEN OF PUNJAB MUST BE MADE AWARE OF THE IMPLICATIONS AND BENEFITS OF STRONG COTPA AMENDMENT 2020:  DR. NARESH CHAWLA, DISTRICT TB OFFICER Nada India Young Network for Good Health had brought together multiple stakeholders of Punjab to discuss different ways in which Educationists, Medical Experts, Government Agencies , NGOs and Youth Groups extended their support for the COTPA Amendment 2020 and operationalisation of the State and the National Multi-sectoral Action Plan (NMAP) for the control of tobacco with a youth-driven campaign and activities. The stakeholders also called on the government to increase taxes on tobacco products for stricter control. The State-level Multi-Stakeholder consultation was addressed by academicians from Guru Nanak Dev University and Amritsar Group of College. District TB Officer Naresh Chawla, Di...

Comprehensive advertising bans are most effective.  As India works to recover from the devastating health toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers must act to adopt strong tobacco control measures and eliminate POS tobacco product displays to protect youth from experimenting with tobacco products and former smokers from relapsing. CURRENT COTPA REGULATIONS: Section 5(1) of COTPA provides for a comprehensive ban on all tobacco advertising. Section 5(2) provides for exceptions from the general prohibition for advertising : displayed at the entrance or inside a warehouse or a shop where cigarettes or other tobacco products are offered for distribution or sale .   PROPOSED COTPA AMENDMENT: Prohibit the display of tobacco products inside or outside any warehouse or store that offers tobacco products for sale; require retailers to ensure all tobacco products are kept in a closed container or dispenser that is not accessible to any member of the public. During a pilot study cond...