Public places ban on smokeless mooted

Maharashtra may soon become the first state in India to ban the consumption of smokeless tobacco in defined public places, according to a story in The Times of India.

The state public health department has set the idea in motion and government notification is said to be likely.

Presently, tobacco smoking is banned in public places, but nearly 80 percent of the state’s 23 million tobacco users primarily consume smokeless tobacco, including paan, zarda, khaini and maava.

“Like smoking, chewing tobacco will be banned in offices, gardens, hospitals and public places,” said Sujata Saunik, principal secretary, health and family welfare. “It will reduce the menace of spitting, which can contribute to the spread of many diseases.”

The public health department plans to amplify provisions of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COPTA) to bring smokeless tobacco under its ambit. “It essentially means that places where smoking is banned, smokeless tobacco will be prohibited,” said Saunik.

Saunik seemed to dismiss concerns over implementation of the proposed rules and their enforcement.