Smoking Ban - Can it be implemented?

Smoking Ban - Can it be implemented?

 

 

So, from today, more smoking in public places like Office buildings including the total covered area, in public transport systems, shopping areas, railway station, airports and not even in open auditoriums and stadiums.

 

There will a special smoking zone in hotels with over 30 rooms, restaurants with 30 seats. Of course, in your house and the society area you are free to have a cool puff.

 

There are police personals, all inspectors from excise, customs, sales tax, food, health department who have been given powers to stop you from smoking as well as penalize you up to Rs.200.

 

So far so good, now let us see the outcome of previous bans:

1.    There should be no direct or indirect advertisement of tobacco products - No go, due to a loophole regarding point of sale now every “Paan” shop is decorated with display of Ads.

 

2.    No sale of cigarettes to children below 18 and there should be no such shop within 100 yards of any educational institution - again a big failure because shops are still there albeit with a torn notice in place reiterating the above ban, no one reads it.

 

3.    Pictorial depiction of health hazards on the cigarette pack, tar, and nicotine content - still to be implemented.

 

Looking at the previous status of the bans, also the impracticality of imposing ban on public smoking tomorrow will be just another regular smoking day.

 

In a country where policemen are mowed down just because they dared to stop you from jumping a red light, where talking on mobile while driving a vehicle still a fashion without giving a hoot for the safety of others, where jay walking was supposed to be penalized and this rule was dropped like a hot potato, All the ban should come from within, but here it seems the topmost motto is

 

“Have Rules - Will Break”.