Selling liquor or tobacco products to a child is punishable under JJ Act, 2015: WCD Minister

Rules 56 (8) & (9) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016 (JJ Rules) framed under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 provide that all tobacco products and intoxicating liquor and the shops selling them must display a message that giving or selling intoxicating liquor or tobacco products to a child is a punishable crime with upto seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of upto one lakh rupees.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) had constituted a multi-disciplinary committee consisting of Senior Judge and advocates, members of Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, representatives of State Governments, representatives of the MWCD, mental health expert, and civil society organizations, all working in the field of child protection to draft the JJ Rules.

This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.