Hotel Associations, Doctors, Cancer Victims Urge Govt to Strengthen Tobacco Control Laws to make India 100 percent Smoke-Free
Lucknow, March 12: On the occasion of No Smoking Day on March 13, doctors, cancer victims and hotel associations urged the Govt to remove designated smoking rooms at hotels/restaurants and airports to protect people from second-hand smoke to make India 100 percent smoke free.
A recent survey by VHAI &King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, UP conducted to assess the compliance of section 4 of COTPA law in hotels, restaurants and resto-bars of Uttar Pradesh revealed there were serious violations of section 4 of COTPA
The study was conducted in 4 cities of Uttar Pradesh: Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Gautam Buddha Nagar. A total of 205 locations including 69 hotels, 81 restaurants and 55 resto-bars were surveyed in these 04 cities of Uttar Pradesh.
Key findings of the survey:
- Overall, in 13% hotels, 11% restaurants and 24% resto-bars people were found smoking inside the premises at the time of observation.
- The smoking incidences recorded during observation were highest (56%) in resto-bars of Lucknow.
- At 19% hotels, 9% restaurants and 58% resto-bars provided smoking aids such as matchbox, lighters, ashtrays etc. to facilitate active smoking in their premises.
- In Kanpur, 100% resto-bars and in Lucknow, 94% resto-bars have provided smoking aids in their premises.
- In 10% hotels, 14% restaurants and 27% resto-bars we have found cigarette butts in the premises where general public has access.
- Only 1% hotels and 28% resto-bars have provision for separate smoking areas in their building.
- None of the restaurant had separate smoking areas.
- 0% (Nil) designated smoking areas were as per the specifications.
- Only 22% hotels, 19% restaurants and 38% resto-bars have some sort of ‘No Smoking’ signage at the entrance or prominent locations.
- 5% locations do not have signage as per the specification given under section 4 of COTPA.
- In 1% restaurants and 2% bars, cigarette brands were displayed/advertised inside the premises.
“50 percent of smokers die due to smoking related illness. In India about 120 million people are active smokers and 63 percent of family members are passive smokers . Approximately 30 percent of adults are passive smokers at public places . When a person smokes, he inhales only 30 percent of smoke while 70 percent of smoke is responsible for passive smoking or remain in the environment as environmental tobacco smoke. Bidi smoking is more harmful than cigarette smoking. Tobacco smoke has 7000 odd chemicals responsible for various health hazards in the human body and 70 chemicals are carcinogenic. Passive smoking is equally harmful as active smoking. Smoking can lead to various cancers and a lot of diseases related to lungs , heart , brain, kidney, liver, intestine ,bones etc. Furthermore worsens lung function and reduces immunity. All designated smoking areas in hotels and restaurants and even airports should be abolished to ensure a 100% 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 secondhand smoke”- Dr. Surya Kant, In-charge, Tobacco Cessation Clinic and Head of Department, Respiratory Medicine Department King George Medical University, UP Lucknow and Past Secretary General Of Indian Society Against Smoking” Dr. Surya Kant, In-charge, Tobacco Cessation Clinic, Head of Department, Respiratory Medicine Department King George Medical University, UP Lucknow.
In India, smoking is banned in all public as per the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act COTPA 2003. Section 4 of this Act prohibits smoking in any place to which the public has access. However, COTPA 2003, presently allows smoking in certain public places like restaurants, hotels, and airports, in designated smoking areas.
“Exposure to passive smoking happens in eateries specifically hotels, restaurants, bar & restaurant, pubs and clubs, risking lives of thousands of non-smokers by exposing them to the smoke of cigarettes. As cigarette smoke seeps from smoking areas to common areas, COTPA act needs to be amended, to not permit smoking in any premises. All places should be completely smoke free in the best interest of the public health,” says Ms Nalini Satyanarayan, a passive smoking victim and health activist.
Second-hand smoking is as harmful as smoking.Exposure to second-hand smoke causes many diseases including, lung cancer and heart disease in adults and the impairment of the lung function and respiratory infections in childrenDesignated smoking areas facilitate the spread of infection as smokers cannot socially distance or wear masks and are trapped in close proximity in a smoke-filled environment.
“We are finding that families prefer to stay in hotels which do not allow smoking. We are happy that the Government is strengthening the COTPA provisions to make hospitality sector completely smoke free. We support the Government in its initiativefor safeguarding people’s health,” says Dr. G.P Sharma, President, Hospitality Association of Uttar Pradesh.
India has the second largest number of tobacco users (268 million or 28.6% of all adults in India) in the world – of these at least 1.2 million die every year from tobacco related diseases. One million deaths are due to smoking, with over 200,000 due to second-hand smoke exposure, and over 35,000 are due to smokeless tobacco use. Nearly 27% of all cancers in India are due to tobacco usage. The total direct and indirect cost of diseases attributable to tobacco use was a staggering Rupees 182,000 crore which is nearly 1.8% of India’s GDP.
