Knowledge and perception regarding Indian tobacco control regulations among retailers selling tobacco products in slum areas of Bhubaneswar, India

To check the tobacco menace, Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) was introduced by the Government of India. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and perception of tobacco retailers regarding COTPA regulations. A cross sectional study was undertaken during May-September, 2017 among 84 tobacco retailers from 11 slums of Bhubaneswar city. Using a structured schedule, relevant data were collected, analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 software and expressed as percentages. Most of the retailers had no knowledge regarding different sections of COTPA regulations such as minimum age of a person to whom tobacco products can be sold, minimum distance for opening a tobacco shop from educational institution, penalty for not displaying board stating “sale of tobacco products to minor is a punishable offence” etc. It highlights the need for educating slum retailers regarding COTPA regulations which is important for controlling the tobacco epidemic.