The Revolutioners

Smoking Ban Act, India – Must Read

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Let’s see the scene of tobacco and smoking in India first. OK, some facts and figures about Smoking and Tobacco in India.

• In India, tobacco use causes nearly 40 percent of all health problems and 50 percent of all cancers, according to Health Minister, Anbumani Ramadoss.
• In India The tobacco contributes to 56.4% and 44.9% of cancers in men and women, respectively.
• India ranks 2nd in smoking cigarette in top 10 countries.
• Nearly 17 percent of students in India, aged 15 and under, use some form of tobacco, mainly cigarettes, according to a survey conducted by the World Health Organization.
• India has the largest number of oral cancer cases in the world which is due to tobacco.
• In India, an estimated 120 million people smoke. But the problem is that smoking in India is on rising side unlike Western countries.
• Cigarettes compromise just 19 percent of tobacco consumption in India however Bidis account for 53 percent, according to the Bidi Smoking and Public Health report by the Union Ministry of Health and Family.
• Around 1 billion Bidis are sold in India every year. Bidis contain more tar, nicotine and other toxic substances but less tobacco than traditional cigarettes.
• Tobacco smoking accounts for 82% of Chronic obstructive lung disease in India.

It’s been around 1 year now that Indian Government imposed ban on smoking in public places including government and private offices. You might not know but this act was in existence for 2 years before our government thought of implementing it seriously. Seriously, imagine. We create acts, put them in files, make a pile out of it, put them in a room somewhere and then don’t look at them for 3-4 years. Then suddenly you wake up and try to enforce everything. And I’ll tell you some facts about this so called smoking ban in public places today. Well, I think I don’t really have to tell you anything as most of you already know it to some extent.

Alright let’s first discuss what the ban exactly is. As per the government, no one is allowed to smoke in public places including public transportation and public offices etc. As per the rules, smoking is banned in shopping malls, cinema halls, public/private work place, hotels, banquet halls, discotheques, canteen, coffee house, pubs, bars, airport lounge, railway stations. Public places cover all government, private and public sector offices as well. I work with an MNC and believe me there people adhere to the regulation. People go out of the offices for smoke. Earlier employees could smoke in the office premises but ever since the smoking ban everyone is prohibited to smoke inside the office premises. Also, any employer found to be letting its employees smoke inside the office premises are supposed to be penalized. Moreover I think people working with big MNCs in India are mature enough to understand what it means for our country. We tell clients coming from abroad that there are restrictions on smoking inside the premises, so we don’t want them to see us smoking in there.

Alright, that’s the rule now lets see how is our government who imposed the ban is doing about it. You remember me visiting MTNL office, I saw employees smoking inside the building. Well, that was not it. I shave seen many more government offices with people smoking inside the offices. But today was the height of everything, I went to a government office today (would not want to quote) and saw employee smoking in the building that too on his seat as well. And the head of the office was also smoking in the office.

I just want to understand why has it always been like this? Why do we citizens only have to follow all the rules? Why the people who create the rules, don’t have to adhere to them.

And believe me its not the only thing which is wrong these days Things like these keep happening in our country. It has been in existence in one or another form with each and every government department of India. For example, Delhi Police does not need any helmet while driving on the road but they want each and every rider in Delhi to wear helmet and don’t miss a chance of not giving ticket to the rider if he/she is not wearing the helmet. Similarly they want everyone to wear seat-belts while driving even if the traffic is not even moving. Every government department you go in, you’d find yourself on the verge of having an argument all the time. People don’t really seem to take their jobs seriously.

I am not able to understand the mentality of our government employees as in why do these people behave like this. I mean its good that you are sitting there in a government office but aren’t you suppose to work. Yeah, let me not just start that. I’d need an entire book on that just one post won’t be enough I guess.

Don’t know when would we be free, free as in FREE…! The ultimate question is should we try and ban these things from selling or should we ban smoking of cigarettes. ?

Some interesting reading about tobacco and smoking.

• Avoiding tobacco adds 20 years to the life of a teenager.
• In India, 900,000 people die due to tobacco related diseases per year.
• Tobacco smoking accounts for 82% of Chronic obstructive lung disease in India.
• Tobacco indirectly causes lung tuberculosis. Prevalence of TB is about 3 times as great among the ever-smokers as among the never-smokers. The heavier the smoking, either cigarettes or bidis, the greater the prevalence of TB among smokers. Mortality from TB is 3 to 4 times as great in ever-smokers as in never-smokers.
• About half of the teenagers who use tobacco will eventually be killed by it (about a quarter in middle age and a quarter in old age).
• It is estimated that India as compared to any other country will have the fastest rise in tobacco related deaths each year.

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1. India – In a State of Spirituality
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3. Visit to MTNL Sanchaar Haat – A Must Read

Tags: Controversial, Indian Politics