Ban goes in smoke!

Ban on smoking is more of an eyewash. As cigarettes are snuffed out across the country, the true intent of the government is suspect. With no restrictions on tobacco industry, it's an half hearted approach.

Anyone who feels the urge for a puff of his favorite brand will have to do so in the confines of his room, provided his kids and other members of the family accept to be passive smokers. If he resists, he will have to set up a room of his own, away from all inquisitive neighbors and prying eyes

The Indian government has the power to endorse public smoking bans, but is there any legal basis for laws restricting private smoking and sale of cigarettes. We may as well pass laws prohibiting people from eating too much, or sleeping too little, or taking on high-stress jobs. Do you think that people will follow it?

 

Of course, after the passage of this law, one can see fewer smokers on the streets or public places, but it doesn’t mean that smokers have vanished or have stopped smoking.

Such proposals "push the envelope" of tobacco control into areas where questions need to be asked to ensure tobacco control policies are firmly anchored to scientific evidence and especially concern those who value the freedom of individuals to do what they please to the extent that this does not harm others. They invite consideration of whether zero tolerance of public exposure to toxic agents is a reasonable policy for civil societies and whether the loudly proclaimed exquisite sensitivities of a small minority should drive public policy. . In short, we need to ask whether efforts to prevent people smoking outdoors risk besmirching tobacco control advocates as the embodiment of intolerant, paternalistic busybodies, who, not content at protecting their own health, want to force smokers to not smoke even in circumstances where the effects of their smoking on others are immeasurably small.

There is confusion as most people whether the government will actually do much on implementing the law is a significant question. Laws on public health and comfort – such as littering or loud music – are almost never enforced in India. This law too could well go up in smoke fail to understand even the definition of a public place.

What is ironical is that major chunk of the population is not aware of the anti-smoking law and if some do know about it, they seem to be least bothered. The rationale behind this attitude of people is justified, as the concerned authorities themselves are reluctant to swing into action. The law enforcement agencies do not have the will to take action against the smokers. Government needs to come up with the strong-arm measures to clampdown smoking in public place and make the environment smoke free.

 Just lift the smoke veil and you will see that this law, in probability, is more of a paper tiger.

While the fire against smoking gains heat one cannot help but wonder about Sir Winston Churchill's plight if he were to live in a country where smoking was banned by law. For, he always claimed that it was the endless supply of cigars and tea that carried him through the war. But this is a different war anyway!