Compliance with tobacco control policies in India: an examination of facilitators and barriers

SETTING: India's Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) prohibits smoking in public places, limits advertising at points of sale, and bans sales in close proximity to educational institutions. OBJECTIVE: To examine key stakeholders' (i.e., tobacco retailers, hotel and restaurant owners/managers, law enforcement officials, school principals/administrators) perceptions of facilitators and barriers to compliance with COTPA. DESIGN: Using semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 60), we identified a range of facilitators and barriers that varied across the venues. RESULTS: A number of simple measures to increase compliance were identified: provide signs to retailers, provide aesthetically pleasing signs more fitting for the atmosphere of the hotel/restaurant, etc., and empower law enforcement to implement the law. CONCLUSIONS: Priority should be placed on public awareness, as it can facilitate compliance in numerous venues. Communication efforts could be undertaken to change the public's residual negative attitudes toward the policy.