Bill to ban smoking in public introduced in RS

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 7. The stage was today set for a total nation- wide ban on smoking in public and sponsorship of sports and cultural events by tobacco companies, with the Government introducing the legislation on tobacco control in the Rajya Sabha this morning.

The Bill, which had been in the pipeline for quite some years now, also provided for a ban on advertisements of tobacco products and their sale to minors under 18.

Introducing the Bill, the Union Health Minister, Dr. C.P. Thakur, said its main objective was to curb passive smoking and protect children from becoming victims of misleading advertisements and addiction. While prescribing standards for display of specific warnings about the ill-effects of tobacco products on the packets, it also provided for varying degrees of punishment depending on the nature of offence to ensure its effective implementation.

Offences like smoking in public and sale to minors would attract a fine of upto Rs. 200, while offences committed by tobacco companies, such as lack of proper warnings in advertisements, would attract imprisonment upto three years and fines upto Rs. one lakh for the first conviction and upto Rs. 2 lakhs for the second and subsequent convictions. All offences under the legislation would be cognisable but, at the same time, bailable.

For the purpose of legislation, public places would mean any place to which public had access, whether as of right or not, and include auditoria, hospitals, health institutions, amusement centres, restaurants, public offices, court buildings, educational institutions, libraries and public conveyance, and where the ban on smoking was displayed or conveyed through any audio or visual medium.

Later speaking to presspersons, Dr. Thakur said all Government departments wholeheartedly supported the Bill, except the Labour Ministry, which had expressed reservation on the ground that it may lead to unemployment, particularly among beedi workers. The issue was being addressed to. Measures to substitute tobacco cultivation with other cash crops, including medicinal plants, were being chalked out to ensure alternate jobs.

The legislation had enough provisions to prevent its misuse. For instance, powers for arrest, search and seizure would be given to officers not below the rank of sub-inspector. It would also cover imported tobacco products.

Narcotic Bill passed

A Bill to rationalise the sentence structure for drug traffickers and strengthen law enforcement machinery was passed in Parliament today.

The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (amendment) Bill, 1998, has retained severe punishment for traffickers while seeking to be lenient towards addicts and victims. The Bill, earlier passed by the Rajya Sabha, was today approved by the Lok Sabha.

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Section  : National
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