India has become the latest nation to introduce a smoking ban in public places. The legislation put in place in an attempt to fight tobacco use took effect on Gandhi’s birthday on October 2. The legislation, forbidding 1.2 billion people from smoking, represents the world’s biggest smoking ban. The Republic of Ireland was the first country to institute an outright public smoking ban in the world.
Officials hope an extensive anti-smoking campaign and tighter enforcement will make the ban successful, but the country’s health minister, Anubamani Ramadoss, knows getting the country’s estimated 120 million smokers to quit will not happen overnight. This is going to be a “continuous process,” he said.
The smoking ban—which was opposed by the hotel industry and tobacco companies—includes offices, hotels, restaurants and hospitals. It also widens the earlier failed ban to cover college campuses, bars and discos. Starting off with the $5 fine (equivalent to a day’s wage for many), officials have plans to raise the penalty to $25 in future.
Authorities say they plan to take action against the owners or managers of public places where the law is violated, and make sure that no ashtrays, matches or lighters are provided there.
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. More than half of these deaths would be among poor and illiterate people. The government hope the ban will help bring down the number of deaths caused by tobacco use every year.
