The Hindu : New Delhi News : You can’t smoke in public places from today

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Thursday, Oct 02, 2008
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New Delhi

You can’t smoke in public places from today

Aarti Dhar

Violation of ban will attract fine up to Rs.200

Smoking will be prohibited at all places to which the public have access
Government to launch massive awareness and publicity campaigns

NEW DELHI: The ban on smoking at public places all over the country comes into effect from October 2. Violation of the ban, imposed under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 2003, will attract a fine of up to Rs.200.

Smoking will be prohibited at all places to which the general public have access, including auditoriums, health institutions, government buildings, restaurants, courts, public conveyances, public transport, stadiums, railway stations, bus stops, workplaces, shopping malls, refreshment rooms, discotheques, pubs and airport lounges. The ban will not cover open spaces.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss welcomed the Supreme Court order declining to stay the Centre’s notification prohibiting smoking. He said the ban was a major step towards providing a smoke-free atmosphere and protecting non-smokers from passive smoking. He had personally written to Governors, Chief Ministers, Health Ministers and MPs to ensure effective implementation of the ban. On Maharashtra and Bihar which expressed their inability to impose it, Dr. Ramadoss said all efforts, including litigation, would be made to pressure the States to implement the prohibition. Massive publicity and awareness campaigns would be launched. The law defined the duties and responsibilities of the owner, manager, proprietor, supervisor and anyone who was in charge of a public place so that he or she could enforce these provisions. In large hotels and restaurants with more than 30 rooms or 30 seats and airports, a provision for a separate smoking area was made. Public places would have to identify the individuals empowered to enforce the law, issue challans or collect fines.

Dr. Ramadoss said if the owner or authorised person failed to act on complaints, he would be fined equivalent to the number of individual offences. The Health Department was empowered to print the numbered receipt book and the challan book for distribution to authorised officers and ensure that these were accounted for. The States might create a separate head of account, as was done by Gujarat, in which the fine could be deposited. The department could use the money for tobacco control activities.

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