New Delhi, June 1
Smokers beware! Hotels, airports, restaurants and even your drawing room will cease to be safe for you once the new regulations of banning smoking in workplaces come into effect.
The “Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008” being introduced as a part of an amendment to the Tobacco Control Act will bring under its ambit hotels, restaurants, airports, banquet halls, discotheques, pubs, coffee houses and shopping malls.
While eateries and other places generally come under the ambit of a workplace, even a drawing room can be considered as one with the maid being considered as an employee. According to the draft rules, it will be the responsibility of the owners of these establishments
to ensure that nobody is caught smoking on their premises.
In case of any violation, it would be the owner, proprietor, manager or supervisor, who would be liable to pay a fine.
The organisation would also have to put up a prominent board displaying a no-smoking sign outside the establishment.
The rules come as a part of the government efforts to check rising incidents of tobacco abuse in the country.
Earlier, union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss had campaigned to introduce pictorial warnings on cigarette and bidi packets to deter smokers.
A World Health Organisation report has found that 10 per cent of the world’s smokers live in India.
— PTI
