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Legal Age For Smoking

Last updated on May 31, 2024

The legal age for smoking is 18 years. It is illegal for1 anyone to sell, in any way, cigarettes or any other tobacco products to anyone below 18 years of age, or within 100 yards of an educational institute.

Duties of Sellers

If you are selling cigarettes or other tobacco products, you must ensure the following2:

  • The person purchasing the product(s) is above 18 years of age. To ascertain this, you may ask for evidence, such as an ID proof, etc.
  • Tobacco product is not sold through vending machines
  • The products are displayed so that easy access to them is not possible
  • No product is handled or sold by any person below 18 years of age
  • A board is displayed at the place where such products are being sold that states “Sale of tobacco products to a person under the age of eighteen years is a punishable offence”, among other specifications.3

Punishment

You cannot sell tobacco products to a person below 18 years of age. The punishment is a fine of Rs. 200.4

 

  1. Section 6, the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003. [↩]
  2. Section 2, the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production Supply and Distribution) Amendment Rules, 2011. [↩]
  3. Annexure I, Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production Supply and Distribution) Amendment Rules, 2011. [↩]
  4. Section 24, the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003. [↩]

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