The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Strict enforcement of no smoking rule urged

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Friday, Nov 07, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Strict enforcement of no smoking rule urged

Special Correspondent

Violators would be fined up to Rs. 100 but not exceeding Rs. 200
Rules include open auditorium, stadium, railway stations, bus stops

Hyderabad: Awareness had been created among people about the ban on smoking in public places. It is now time for strictly enforcing the Act by imposing fines, said Hyderabad Collector Navin Mittal.

At a review meeting here on Thursday, he said the implementation of the Act would be reviewed every month on first Thursday to assess the progress made in achieving the target of making Hyderabad a smoke-free zone. Public places, he said, included any place to which public have access like public offices, restaurants, cinema halls, shopping malls and amusement centres.

The 2008 rules also included open auditorium, stadium, railway stations, bus stops.

All public places should display invariably a board containing the warning sign “No smoking area, smoking here is an offence”.Violators would be fined up to Rs. 100 but not exceeding Rs. 200. Advertisement of cigarettes and tobacco products will carry imprisonment up to two years or fine of Rs. 1,000 or both in case of first conviction and in case of second, five years imprisonment with fine of Rs. 5,000.There is also a ban to sell tobacco products near educational institutions within a radius of 100 yards, Mr. Mittal said. He urged NGOs to come forward to make Hyderabad a smoke-free district. Joint Collector N. Mukteshwar Rao said challan books will be made available in the offices of the district notified as public places. As of now, 39 persons were fined in the district, he said.

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