A campaign which, among other things, aims to bring down the exposure of people to second-hand smoke was launched on Monday. The initiative will be part of the city’s involvement in the ‘Partnership for Healthy Cities’, a global network of cities committed to reducing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries.
Around 20 million people in Karnataka consume tobacco in some form, the release said, adding that according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) and the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), 37% of adults and 22% of youth are exposed to second-hand smoke in public places, increasing their risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease, stroke, and lung disease.
Section 4 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) prohibits smoking in public places, and a violation of this provision attracts a fine extending up to ₹200. In addition, public places are supposed to display smoke-free signages.
Speaking at the event, Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar said the Bengaluru city police alone had penalised over 65,000 people in the last four years, collecting more than ₹1 crore in fines.
A release said under the ‘Smoke-Free’ initiative, Bengaluru will work towards strengthening the implementation of Section 4, which will help reduce exposure to second-hand smoke and its ill-effects on people’s health.
Launching the initiative, Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George turned the spotlight on hookah bars and said, “Hookah is as dangerous as cigarettes. Currently, some eateries and restaurants are not compliant with COTPA rules. Hence, all the restaurants and eateries which are not compliant will be brought under strict norms of COTPA.”
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will work alongside Vital Strategies, the implementing partner, to accelerate this policy intervention.
