Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has come out with yet another wonder, the ban on smoking in public.
As soon as the law came into effect, we saw the media well prepared to handle this fun with lines like,
Smoking ban goes up in smoke…..
The smokers puffing the law away .. etc etc.
I heard much explicit comments myself since I live with a smoker and knew in my heart that there is no way these smokers are going to be deterred.
Hubby never smokes inside the house or car and he always tries his best not to smoke in confined spaces too. And if his parents/brother or in-laws are around then it is very hard to find him or the place he chooses to smoke away. (The troubles these poor smokers have!) So in his case, the choice of a private place is very limited. It is not as though all smokers love their habit especially since they are now being treated as social outcasts in most workplaces too.
So like my children, I have just this question to ask. Instead of banning smoking when will the government ban the cigarette companies?
If the government continue to let the companies sell these cigarettes in public places since they need their taxes badly then this ban is only to laugh away. The smokers will try their best not to pay the fine, but they will continue to smoke. As for private and public places, does the government have any rules on those?
So I guess it is best to leave the veteran smokers alone. And since the government will not ban the cigarette companies, can they at least have stricter laws to deter the young smokers?
Can they have more awareness programmes to educate the younger generation (before they reach their teens) on the dangers in smoking?
