For the health benefits of customers visiting hotels and restaurants, the Karnataka Pradesh Hotel and Restaurant Association (KPHRA) and Bruhat Bangalore Hotel Association (BBHA) in association with the health department joined hands to initiate some measures for the better implementation of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. To brief media about the steps/initiatives taken by both the associations and health department, they called for a joint press conference on 23rd December 2013 at KAS Officers Association hall, Bangalore at 10.30 am. Health Minister could not make it to the event because of some unavoidable reasons hence Dr K B Eshwarappa, Deputy Director – Health and Family welfare Dept also In-charge of State anti-tobacco cell represented him. Mr Ramachandra Upadhya, President, Karnataka Pradesha Hotels and Restaurants association(KPHRA), Mr Chandrashekar Hebbar, President, Bruhat Bangalore Hotels association(BBHA), Mr Ramamurthy, Secretary, BBHA, Mr Nagaraj, Secretary, KPHRA and Dr Vishal Rao addressed the media. Both the associations have circulated the specifications of COTPA to all their members and asked them to comply with the signage requirement. KPHRA has also distributed template signages to all the districts.
