Hyderabad: VHAI urge government to ban public smoking

Hyderabad: The Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) has requested the State government to issue orders banning smoking of all forms and also tobacco products in all public places to prevent and control the spread of corona virus infection.

In a letter addressed to the State Principal of Health Syed Ali Murtuza Rizvi, the VHAI Bhavna B Mukhopadhyay said that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare advisory on 'Covld-19 Pandemic and Tobacco Use in India', elucidates, that the use of tobacco is a risk factor for many respiratory infections and increases the severity of respiratory diseases.

Smokers are more vulnerable to Covid-19 as the act of smoking means removal of masks, fingers (and possibly contaminated cigarettes) are in contact with lips which increases the possibility of transmission of virus from hand to mouth.

Bhavna said, "This was fatal to the health of the citizens, we are of the opinion that measures would be required to be taken to ban sale of cigarettes and bidis during the pandemic time. Covid-19 spreads primarily via respiratory droplets-released as someone smokes, coughs, sneezes, or talks."

He further said that smoking of all forms of tobacco products in public places such as restaurants, hotel and airports etc., results in spread of infection of disease dangerous to life and makes atmosphere noxious to health and is therefore a punishable offence under Sections 269, 270 and 278 of the Indian Penal Code.