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By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Oct 19: Instead of improving the health of the people, the ban on smoking in public places has done just the opposite as can be seen in Guwahati.
The ban which came into force on October 2 has had little effect on the target group such as college-going students and the young smokers. One student of a city college said that since their is no scope for enforcing the ban, it makes little sense in making such laws.
Of course the city police is too stretched out to see to it that people do not smoke in public places. Same is the case with cafes and restaurants. Owners are reluctant to impose the ban in the strict sense as it will mean losing out on customers. Moreover, there are no authorized personnel to see to it that eating joints follow the law.
Cigarette vendors in the city also said that the ban has hardly made any change to their business. As one vendor put in that a smoker will smoke and such silly laws will have little impact.
Interestingly, a ASSOCHAM survey released today in New Delhi showed that the ban has resulted in a phenomenal increase in the consumption of tobacco chewing products, such as ‘Gutka’.
The ban has been effective to the extent that it has resulted in a 25 per cent decline in the sales of ‘beedis’ and cigarettes, with the impact being higher among the lower middle class —the largest consumer of products injurious to health.
Not surprisingly, the ban has little effect on the upper classes.
One conscious citizen said that instead of the police shouldering the responsibility to see that if smokers are not abiding the law, the people in the streets and in restaurants should see to it that if anyone is found smoking in public places, the matter is reported to authorities concerned. source: sentinel assam
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Oct 19: Instead of improving the health of the people, the ban on smoking in public places has done just the opposite as can be seen in Guwahati.
The ban which came into force on October 2 has had little effect on the target group such as college-going students and the young smokers. One student of a city college said that since their is no scope for enforcing the ban, it makes little sense in making such laws.
Of course the city police is too stretched out to see to it that people do not smoke in public places. Same is the case with cafes and restaurants. Owners are reluctant to impose the ban in the strict sense as it will mean losing out on customers. Moreover, there are no authorized personnel to see to it that eating joints follow the law.
Cigarette vendors in the city also said that the ban has hardly made any change to their business. As one vendor put in that a smoker will smoke and such silly laws will have little impact.
Interestingly, a ASSOCHAM survey released today in New Delhi showed that the ban has resulted in a phenomenal increase in the consumption of tobacco chewing products, such as ‘Gutka’.
The ban has been effective to the extent that it has resulted in a 25 per cent decline in the sales of ‘beedis’ and cigarettes, with the impact being higher among the lower middle class —the largest consumer of products injurious to health.
Not surprisingly, the ban has little effect on the upper classes.
One conscious citizen said that instead of the police shouldering the responsibility to see that if smokers are not abiding the law, the people in the streets and in restaurants should see to it that if anyone is found smoking in public places, the matter is reported to authorities concerned. source: sentinel assam
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