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Employer to pay if you smoke at work1 Jun 2008, 0044 hrs IST, Rupali Mukherjee,TNN
NEW DELHI: Your employer may no longer take kindly to your smoking in office, and may even go to the length of forcing you to quit smoking altogether! With a ban on smoking in public places to include workplaces soon, the government has decided to put the onus on the owner of establishment to ensure that public places are smoke-free, and in case of violation, be liable to pay damages, along with the smoker himself. Significantly, hotels, restaurants and airports will also have to set up designated ‘smoking areas’ — separately ventilated smoking rooms surrounded by full height walls with an automatically closing door, at entry or exit of the hotel/restaurant/airport. The smoke from these areas should not be released or permeate into the non-smoking area including lobbies and the corridors, sources said. The ban which also covers discotheques, pubs, bars, banquet halls, canteens and airport lounges will be effective from October 2, under the fresh set of official guidelines prepared on prohibition of smoking in public places. Smoking is already banned in public places including schools, hospitals and railway stations. This means that designated places in airports, hotels and restaurants will be the only public places where people will be able to smoke without breaking the law after October 2. The guidelines further state that hotels with over 30 rooms, and restaurants with seating capacity of over 30 people, will need to set up these ‘smoking areas’. The government believes that smoke-free environment helps smokers who want to quit. It also has data — to back its theory — from industrialized countries which show that smoke-free policies in workplaces reduce tobacco consumption (among workers) by 30%, according to a World Health Organization’s Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008. It also points out that passive smoking (being exposed to second-hand smoke) increases the risk of heart disease in non-smokers by 25-30% and cancer by 20-30%. Passive smoking is particularly dangerous to women and children, who may suffer from chronic chest infections, respiratory diseases and asthma. India’s annual tobacco-related deaths are nearly 1 million, or around 2200 a day. So, besides ensuring that people smoke in only designated areas in restaurants and hotels, no ashtrays, matches, lighters to facilitate smoking should be provided in these places. Also display boards saying that ‘smoking is a punishable offence’ would need to be placed prominently at entrances of public places to deter smokers.
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Now, Ramadoss asks Buddhadeb to kick the butt
16 Sep 2008, 1623 hrs IST
Amid reports of West Bengal losing millions of dollars in aid due to its Chief Minister's smoking habit, the Union Health Minister has requested Buddhadeb to quit smoking.
Now, Ramadoss asks Buddhadeb to kick the butt16 Sep 2008, 1623 hrs IST,PTI
NEW DELHI: Amid reports of West Bengal losing millions of dollars in international aid due to its Chief Minister's smoking habit, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday "issued fresh advice to him to kick the butt". ( Watch ) "I have already requested him (Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya) to quit smoking and I do so again," Ramdoss told reporters here. He said the health ministry has sent letters to all the state governments asking them to enforce the smoke-free work places ban from October two. "The West Bengal Chief Minister has done a marvellous job as far as getting investments to the state is concerned and has worked hard to make the state better in all respects," he said. West Bengal has the highest number of smokers: 71 per cent of men smoke cigarette in the state. According to reports, the CM's smoking habits have made the state lose out to millions of dollars in international aid. Within the last six months, the Bloomberg Initiative To Reduce Tobacco Use had rejected application for grant to West Bengal many times.
Ramadoss wants cess routed to anti-tobacco drive
17 Sep 2008, 0109 hrs IST
The health ministry said it would ask the government to pass on additional funds collected through taxes on tobacco products to its account to boost the National Tobacco Control Programme.
Ramadoss wants cess routed to anti-tobacco drive17 Sep 2008, 0109 hrs IST, TNN
NEW DELHI: The health ministry on Tuesday said it would ask the government to pass on additional funds collected through taxes on tobacco products to its account to boost the National Tobacco Control Programme.
"We will soon write to the PM and the finance minister asking for the amount collected through additional 5% cess on tobacco products to be transferred to the health ministry," health minister A Ramadoss said.
The amount — around Rs 500 crore — would be used for the tobacco control programme which would be taken to district and school levels, he said.
The 5% cess on tobacco products was imposed in 2005. "This amount would also fund the scheme of finding alternative employment for tobacco cultivators," Ramadoss said.
Apart from this, the health ministry is also looking at an increase in overall taxes on tobacco products, specially 'bidis'. "Although 55% of tobacco products in India are bidis, but as their manufacture is a cottage industry, most of the sales are without tax. We want to impose hefty taxes on bidis to deter people from using it and also use the amount so collected for tobacco control programmes," Ramadoss said.
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Union Health Minister, Dr.A Ramadoss desrves appreciation for taking bold steps on this most important public health issue, affecting many lifes. His move inspite of strong tobacco loby, certainly a bold step. All the sections of society must support him in this move.