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Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on drugs and narcotics which some readers may find disturbing.  Cocaine is a manufactured drug made from coca leaf of the coca plant. It is illegal to manufacture, possess, transport and inter-state import/export, sell, purchase and use cocaine. The punishment for carrying out any of these activities is proportionalRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on drugs and narcotics which some readers may find disturbing.  As per Indian law, possession and use of cannabis are illegal. However, from the cannabis plant only activities relating to the flowering part, aka Ganja/Weed, and the resin, aka Hashish, hash or charas, are illegal.  Ganja/Weed Ganja, also knownRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on drugs and narcotics which some readers may find disturbing.  Consuming banned drugs and substances is illegal in India and the punishment for this includes jail time  and/or fine.  If you are caught consuming cocaine, morphine, diacetyl-morphine, you can be punished with jail time for up to 1 year and/orRead more

An electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette, refers to an electronic device that heats any substance (regardless of whether it has nicotine or any flavour) to create an aerosol that can be inhaled. E-cigarettes used to be unregulated in India till 2019. However, they were later declared illegal. Under the law, the following is banned: Production/manufacture ofRead more

If you violate any of the rules under the law1 on cigarettes and tobacco products, you may face punishment in terms of being imprisoned, paying fines, etc. Decision by the Court The appellate court will take into account additional evidence, if any and give an opportunity to hear you out. Then the Court will passRead more

Packaging of Tobacco Products Under the law, every package of cigarettes, or any other tobacco product, must contain the following details1: Name of the product Name and address of the manufacturer, importer or packer Origin of the product (in case of import) Quantity of the product Date of manufacture More details may be added toRead more

Under the law, it is illegal1 for you to advertise2, through any medium (including visual, auditory, etc.), any cigarettes or other tobacco products. You cannot authorize advertisement of tobacco products for money. Prohibition of Advertisement Specifically, the following activities are illegal3: Display or permit the display of, in any manner, an advertisement of any tobaccoRead more

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 theRead more

Under the law, certain public places, such as airports, workplaces, etc., may have a room for smoking any tobacco product within their premises. These smoking rooms must abide by the following specifications1: The room is physically separate and walled on all four sides The entrance must have an automatically closing door Has negative air pressureRead more

Under the law, tobacco products refer to1 products like: Cigarettes Cigars Cheroots (a cigar which is open on both ends) Beedis Chewing Tobacco Snuff Cigarette tobacco, pipe tobacco and hookah tobacco Pan masala Gutka Tooth Powder containing Tobacco A cigarette is a roll of tobacco wrapped in paper or in any other material. However, underRead more

Noise pollution is largely a by-product of industrialisation, urbanisation and modern civilisation. Noise pollution has two sources1 i.e. industrial and non-industrial. The industrial source includes the noise from various industries and big machines working at a very high speed and high noise intensity. Non-industrial source of noise includes the noise created by transport/vehicular traffic andRead more

Noise can disturb our work, rest, sleep, and communication. It can damage our hearing and evoke other psychological, and possibly pathological reactions. Given below are some of the adverse health effects of noise pollution:1 Hearing Loss Hearing loss can be either temporary or permanent. Noise-induced temporary threshold shift (NITTS) is a temporary loss of hearingRead more

Loudspeakers and public address systems are a common source of noise pollution in India. To play loudspeakers, public address systems, amplifiers or other equipments you need written permission from local authorities. 1 The police and local government authorities will seize and confiscate such equipment if it causes noise. 2 The noise level where loudspeaker orRead more

Vehicles are a common source of noise pollution in India. You can be fined1 if you misuse your vehicle horn by sounding the horn: In a silent zone2 Needlessly or continuously in a manner which is more than necessary to ensure your or others’ safety During night time (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) in residentialRead more

If any noise is being made which causes you annoyance, discomfort or any injury, then you can file a complaint with the authorities given below. You can also complain if you know that the noise1 level has exceeded the noise standards by 10 dB(A) in any area or there is noise pollution that happens atRead more

Causing noise pollution is a punishable offence under the law. The punishment is: Causing Public Nuisance Creating noise is considered to be a public nuisance when you cause any injury, danger or annoyance to the public. 1 For example, if your neighbour plays a sound system at midnight very loudly, then this is a publicRead more

Every State Government categorizes areas into the following zones, to which specific zone-wise noise standards/limits apply: Industrial Commercial Residential Silence areas/zones Development authorities, local bodies and other authorities while planning a developmental activity or carrying out functions relating to town/country planning have the responsibility to avoid noise menace and maintain noise standards/limits.1 For example, theRead more

An area comprising not less than 100 meters around hospitals, educational institutions and courts are known as silence areas or silence zones.1 In a silent zone you cannot2: Use a public address system Play any music Raise any sound amplifiers Beat a drum or tom-tom Blow a musical or pressure horn, or trumpet or PlayRead more

Noise is common in everyday life, but when it goes above a certain limit, it is considered to be pollution1 as well as a public nuisance1. Noise at such levels may be injurious to human beings, living creatures, plants, property and the environment2 The law known as the Noise Pollution (Regulation And Control) Rules, 2000Read more

Under the law, emergency treatment refers to any medical and mental health care treatment. It can be provided by a registered medical practitioner to a person with mental illness1. For this, the consent of the nominated representative is required, if they are available.  The immediate treatment prevents: 2: The death or harm to the personRead more

The rules for admission and discharge of a child or minor (below 18 years of age) are different from those of adults. In case a child requires admission in a mental health establishment, the nominated representative should apply to the mental health professional in charge of the establishment for the child’s admission1.  Criteria for AdmissionRead more

The supported mode of admission and discharge means that the person being admitted does not have the capacity to make mental health care decisions, or requires very high support. All admissions in a mental health care establishment should be independent, except when supported admission is necessary1.  Supported Admission for 1 month Criteria and Procedure forRead more

Independent admission means the admission of a person who has the capacity to make mental health care decisions, or requires very less support in making them. An independent patient is given treatment only after informed consent1 (i.e. permission given after complete knowledge of the treatment and its consequences). Additionally, an independent patient must follow theRead more

Admission and discharge in a mental health establishment can be in the following ways: Through the independent mode Through the supported mode1.  In the independent mode of admission and discharge, the person has the capacity to make mental health care and treatment decisions, or requires very less support in making such decisions. Therefore, as anRead more

Every person with mental illness who is admitted has the right to communication1. This means the right to:  Refuse or receive visitors  Refuse or receive and make phone calls subject to the rules of the mental health establishment  Send and receive emails2 Additionally, the right to communication also means that the person does not haveRead more

A person with mental illness or their nominated representative has the right to complain. It can be done regarding deficient care, treatment and related services in a mental health establishment 1.  One can make such a complain to2: The mental health professional in charge of the establishment, and if not satisfied with the response  TheRead more

Every person with mental illness has a right to free legal aid with respect to their rights 1. Free legal aid means providing legal services, free of cost, to certain sections of the society, and it means that one has a right to ask for any of the legal services given below: Representation by aRead more

The right to confidentiality of a person with mental illness about their mental health, mental healthcare and physical healthcare1 means that the mental health professional who is providing care/treatment must keep all such health related information private, and not reveal it without the person’s consent . This also includes the release of information to theRead more

Every person with mental illness and their nominated representative have the right to information from the mental health professional. This includes the following information1: Law on persons with mental illness under which the person has been admitted Criteria for admission in a mental health establishment Right to make an application to the Mental Health ReviewRead more

Every person with mental illness has a right to equality and non-discrimination including1:  No discrimination against a person with mental illness on any basis. This includes reasons such as gender, sex, sexual orientation, religion, culture, caste, social or political beliefs, class or disability Emergency facilities and services  of good quality, and  of the same qualityRead more

Every person with a mental illness has a right to live with dignity. 1 In other words, persons are protected from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in any mental health establishment. This includes the following rights like:2: Living in a safe and hygienic environment Sanitary conditions and provisions for sanitation, space and articles of personalRead more

Every person with a mental illness has a right to1 live with and be a part of the society or community. In other words, just because a person with mental illness has no family or is homeless does not mean that they will be institutionalized in a mental health establishment. Sometimes the family may abandonRead more

Every person has the right to access mental health care from government-funded mental healthcare services. These services include1: Acute mental healthcare services like outpatient and inpatient services Half-way homes, sheltered accommodation, supported accommodation Mental health services to support the family of a person with mental illness or home-based rehabilitation Hospital, community-based rehabilitation establishments and servicesRead more

A nominated representative is a person who is appointed by a person with mental illness to discharge the following duties1: Consider the wishes, life history, values, cultural background and the best interests of the person with mental illness, and give importance to their views regarding such decisions. Provide support to the person with mental illnessRead more

An advance directive is a legal document that specifies the healthcare decisions that should be taken for a person in case they are not capable of making such decisions. It comes into force when someone no longer has the capacity to make healthcare-related decisions. Once the person regains the ability to make mental healthcare decisions,Read more