Respite for passive smokers

The ads telecasted between movies and during interval, the one that starts off with an affected individual and further leads to the message, ‘smoking is injurious to health’, is easily the most undervalued and disregarded one. The most common reason for this being negligence. 

Fully aware of the health hazards, in an initiative to curb the toxic effects of passive smoking, BBMP issues a circular stating that all public places including eateries and pubs should be declared smoke free zones. The only exceptions are the restaurants and pubs with a separate smoking area that have obtained an NOC from the BBMP tobacco control cell.

With a positive response to the initiative, Radhika Mukherji, a BA graduate from St.Joseph’s College, says, “Passive smoking is a huge problem, why should non-smokers get affected by what smokers do. Smoking is a lifestyle choice, you can’t ask people to stop smoking. As long as hotels and pubs have a separate smoking room where smokers can exercise their right to smoke without causing harm to those who have opted not to, it isn’t a problem. But if they are smoking in a public space where non smokers and staff are getting affected, then the rule makes a lot of sense.”

A majority opine that most restaurants and pubs in Bengaluru do have a separate smoking area. They claim that the actual problem is the stalls that sell tobacco in selected surroundings.

Mohammed Rafeeq, an employee at Tango says, “There are people who do smoke in pubs and hotels but most of these places have a separate smoking area. Only a few pubs and restaurants will be affected by the rule. To me, the actual problem is the small stalls located near schools, colleges and offices who sell cigarettes that need to be regulated. You can see a large number of people smoking around these stalls and the people passing by, a large number, are severely affected by it.”

To have a healthier life and environment, Subramanya K, BBMP control room supervisor, opines that it is important to completely abandon cigarettes. He believes that it is important to ban the sale of cigarettes in our country for our own well being.

He says, “We have received several complaints from HSR Layout, Chamrajpet, Frazer Town, Indiranagar, Marathalli and various other parts of Bengaluru. Small stall owners who sell tea earn a large portion of their profits through the sales of cigarettes. People smoking in these areas are not only causing health hazards, they are also polluting the environment. Smoking in restaurants and other eateries, affects the  hotel staff and other people in the premises who have opted not to practice the habit. While we make the efforts from our part, it is also important for police officials to take actions.”

Throwing light on the legal aspects of smoking, Pramila Nesargi, an advocate, states that smoking in public is not prohibited by the law. She adds, “We do acknowledge that smoking is injurious to health but it isn’t prohibited. If a person is smoking in public and is causing an inconvenience to someone else, they can tell him/her the same but no legal action can be taken.”