What all happened to the ban on public smoking. MiD DAY runs a reality check as the ban will have its first anniversary on October 2
What all happened to the ban on public smoking. MiD DAY runs a reality check as the ban will have its first anniversary on October 2
If you're a smoker, you know that the agencies responsible for enforcing the ban on smoking in public are probably sleeping, or smokers themselves.
The ban rolled out by former Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has helped little in clearing the haze.
Priyank Kumar, who works with a banking firm in Cannought Place says," I smoke in open but have hardly been fined or even stopped. Yes, when the ban came into effect, I feared smoking in public but now the officials have become lax. Probably they too realise that it isn't feasible to force someone to quit the stub."
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Die-hard: Delhiites smoking at public places in New Delhi on Wednesday.u00a0
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An owner of a restaurant in South Extension says, "Let's face it that when you run a bar, people would want to smoke. We tried creating a separate smoking bay but it was not feasible considering the floor area. So we allowed them to smoke."
Senior health department official Dr RP Vashisht, who's overseeing the project, said enforcement can never solve such a problem. "The real solution lies in raising awareness. But I must tell you that smoking in public places has gone down. I travel 60-70 kms everyday and I've seen people avoiding smoking in public places."
However, the government is busy acting like a winner. Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia said, "The ban is a roaring success since the change is visible. To make it more effective we will be launching vigorous campaigns especially in schools, where in we'll inform students about the side effects of smoking and why should they kick the butt," she said. Will the fine be increased? No. Walia adds, "We can achieve more by awareness campaigns," she added.
