India Bans Smoking in Public
Health Minister Says Habit May Kill Nearly 1 Million This Year
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Friday, October 3, 2008
NEW DELHI, Oct. 2 -- India banned smoking in public places on Thursday, a move the government hopes will help curb the habit in a country that has one of the world's largest populations of smokers.
There are at least 120 million tobacco users in India, half of them younger than 30. Many working-class Indians smoke bidis, or small, cheaply made cigarettes rolled in leaves that cost the equivalent of 50 cents for a pack of 25.
From now on, those who are caught lighting up in public places such as hotels, discos, libraries and parks face fines of 200 rupees, or around $4. Some of India's poorer states have already said they do not have enough health officers to enforce the ban. Previous attempts to prohibit other behaviors, such as public urination, have achieved little success in this vast country of 1.1 billion people, where many rules are seen as suggestions.
Indian Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said at a news conference that the country is in the grip of a smoking epidemic likely to cause nearly 1 million deaths a year.
"Don't wait for enforcing authorities to catch you," said Ramadoss, who has been pushing for a ban on tobacco and recently made headlines by pressuring Bollywood actors to stop puffing away on screen. Legislation to ban public smoking in India was first passed in 2003. But it has taken nearly five years to work out the guidelines.
Ramadoss said he expected there would be "teething problems" in enforcing the ban. But, he said, the "smoke-free campaign is a movement launched with massive public support." To raise public awareness, the Health Ministry has started running colorful advertisements in newspapers and on television and radio. India follows countries including Britain, South Africa and Thailand in banning public smoking.
Shahzad Ali, a specialist at Health and Wellness, one of many new centers cropping up to promote better eating and exercise habits, said even talking about smoking is a huge step in India.
"Earlier -- even just months ago -- we were not even talking about such matters," Ali said. "This is a culture of fried foods, of sugar and of smoking. But now India is at least becoming a place to talk about improving. That's a great step. Enforcement will be another issue."
