INDIA
The government created a mobile phone application, Stop Tobacco, to report tobacco-related violations.
The app had 25 complaints on it, even before its official launch. Most of the complaints, according to officials in the department of health and family welfare, were about smoking in public places.
Stop Tobacco was launched to commemorate the World No Tobacco Day on May 31. To begin with, users in 10 districts including Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Udupi, Kolar, and Belagavi can download the app and use it.
The app has four components which aim at creating awareness among users and also have better reporting of a violation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA). Users can upload images of COTPA violations. The location will also be gathered by the app, as it is GPS-enabled.
The violation report is then sent to the district health officer concerned, with a copy sent to the squad at the district level, where authorities from various other departments such as education, women and child development, and the police will be alerted.