Smoking in Public Places

When a smoker smokes at a public place, it is not only the smoker who sustains the harm. Even those who are not smoking, but are in the company of smokers are also harmed.

Reasons Why Smoking in Public is Bad

• Non-smokers feel very uncomfortable when they are exposed to the smoke of a cigarette.
• If a person smokes in public area, then even non-smokers have to inhale the smoke emitted out by them.
• These people who are not habituated for cigarette smoke are put to risk of various diseases.
• There are men, women, boys and girls of all ages at public places. The smoke that is inhaled passively by young children can be very detrimental for their health.
• The sight of watching someone smoking may attract teenagers to indulge in the habit of smoking.
• Smoking has been banned in cinema halls or in conference halls.
• At many places, there are smoking chambers attached to prominent public places and big offices. Those, who cannot do without smoking have to go to those chambers to have a smoke. In public places, smoking is not permitted.

Smoking Banned in Public Places

In India, there is nationwide ban on smoking in public areas under the provisions of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008.

Smoking is not allowed at public places such as shopping malls, restaurants, bars, offices, public transports, airports, railway stations, cinema halls, hospitals, banquet halls, libraries, etc. However, smoking is not banned on roads and inside private cars.

Those who do not smoke find the smoke of a cigarette to be intolerable – their head begins to ache if someone is puffing out the smoke around them.