City wakes up to ban on smoking

LUDHIANA: Ban on smoking in public and also no sale of tobacco products to minors has gone to the wind as in the last nine months, the health department could issue only 12 challans. As if rising from slumber to make the city smoke-free, the health department is once again planning to start a drive, and a meeting is scheduled for Monday to discuss the issue.
One can easily see tobacco sellers offering pan masala, cigarettes near residential areas or in front of educational institutes without a check.The fact that the administration did not receive even a single complaint on the helpline started for the purpose proves that the ban was never implemented.
The ban was imposed on October 2, 2008, but since then the health department issued warnings to only one city club for not following the norms and challaned only 12 people for smoking at public places like Model Town, Mall Road, and the bus stand.
As per the law, any person found smoking in public has to pay a minimum fine of Rs 200, but that has hardly deterred people because there is no one to implement the ban.
Staff members of the health department, on condition of anonymity, said that boards and banners proclaiming the no-smoking ban do not mention the helpline number through which people could lodge complaints. They further reasoned that due to various other health-related campaigns like polio immunization the department staff is left with little time to look after implementation of the ban.
Dr Daljeet Singh, district health officer, said, ‘‘The department is planning to start a drive to implement ban against smoking in public places, and for this a meeting would be called.’’