Why are we mute to smoking in public places, a serious public health threat?

This year's Gandhi Jayanthi marks the 14th Anniversary of the introduction of smoke-free laws inIndia. According to the law, smoking is prohibited in all public places like bus stops, railway stations, government offices, hospitals, hotels, parks, and other places where the public has access to.

We have numerous scientific reports that have listed the harms arising out of tobacco smoke. Exposure to second-hand smoke (tobacco smoke) is proven to be as harmful as active smoking. Second-hand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals that can cause premature deaths and diseases. A widely prevailing misconception among the public is that they think tobacco smoke affects only the smoker. The sad reality is that this serious public health concern of second-hand smoking is relatively ignored.

It causes stroke, heart, cancers, lung diseases and gangrene of the feet. The smoke emitted by a smoker lingers in the air for hours which can also cause asthma. The environment protection agency has identified tobacco smoke as a cause for cancer. Passive smoking is more harmful to children as it causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Another important and subtle danger that smoking in public places does is corrupting the young mind with the falsehood that smoking is not harmful and socially acceptable behavior.

There are about 120 million smokers in India. Of this 14.3 lakh, people were fined for smoking in public places in India since 2019. It's about 1.7 percent. How many of these 14.3 lakhs people are not going to offend again? A senior police officer of the state said in one of our webinars shared that Rs. 200 levied as a fine is too little and does not act as a deterrent. Tobacco control advocates have been appealing to the government to increase the fine amount from the existing Rs 200 to at least Rs.2000. There is an argument that the offenders may not have so much money to pay the fine. The judicial system does not ask offenders of other types if they have the money to pay for violations.

Most smokers are lawbreakers as they smoke in public places. The majority of them know that it's a violation. They are not only spoiling their health but also threatening the health of all the people around. Easy accessibility of tobacco products everywhere paves way for the violation of smoking in public places. Petty shops are hotspots for tobacco consumption. This is one of the many Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) violations that petty shops do. Desirable social change with regard to the situation would be achieved if the harmful effect of tobacco is included in the school textbooks. Which should also be creatively taught. Se condly, we need political commitment to ensure all educational institutions and public places are 100 percent smoke-free. This can be achieved by strengthening COTPA. Thirdly every non-smoker who is aware of the harmful effects of tobacco must object to smokers next to them. This will also create awareness among other non-smokers who are not aware of the harmful effects of tobacco.

Every cigarette or bidi purchased contributes to generating huge revenue for tobacco companies. The sheer money power of the tobacco industry paves way for huge scandals in which some of the custodians of society are involved. Further, it subverts the public health policies which lead to diseases and the death of million. What is the cost of 13 lakhs avertable deaths in India every year and who will pay for it? Society must turn the tide against the tobacco industry and urge for strong COTPA.

(The author is convenor of Consortium for Tobacco Free Karnataka, an organisation working towards tobacco control since 2001)