Plea to forbid smoking rooms at public places

On World Health Day, badminton player PV Sindhu, Lok Sabha MP Ramapati Ram Tripati, former badminton player P Gopichand and Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, surgeon at Tata Memorial Hospital, urged Centre to control the consumption of tobacco.

On the eve of World Health Day(WHD) on Wednesday, doctors and many other eminent personalities from the city inducing badminton player PV Sindhu urged the Union government to remove designated smoking rooms in hotels/restaurants and airports to protect people from second-hand smoke.

Lok Sabha MP Ramapati Ram Tripati appreciated the centre for initiating the process to amend COTPA 2003 (The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act) and appealed for immediate removal of current provision that permits smoking areas to make India 100 per cent smoke free.

Former Indian badminton player and chief national coach P.Gopichand along with badminton player Sindhu urged the government to take appropriate steps in order to save the youth of the country from the menace of tobacco products.

Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, head neck cancer surgeon at Tata Memorial Hospital said that there is growing evidence that smoking is a risk for Covid infection. "Smoking worsens lung function and reduces immunity. Smokers who develop Covid infection have more complications and greater risk of fatality. All designated smoking areas in hotels and restaurants and even airports should be abolished to ensure a 100 per cent smoke free environment. Most of these designated smoking areas are rarely compliant as per COTPA requirements and are actually putting our public at great health risk from exposure to second-hand smoke".

Meanwhile, the Union government started the COTPA Amendment process which prohibits of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution of tobacco. A recent survey conducted in India revealed that 72 per cent people believe that second-hand smoke is a serious health hazard, while 88 per cent people strongly support strengthening of the current tobacco control law to address this menace.