Anti-smoking drive goes up in smoke.

​Nizamabad: The Anti-Smoking Law in India enacted in the year 2008 has been given a goby in the district with people smoking in public places without any fear or concern over their health.

People who smoke heavily are least bothered about the health of passive smokers and the inconvenience that they cause to them.

According to the provisions of the Anti-Smoking Act, anyone found to be smoking could be fined up to Rs 200 and amendments have been made to raise it to Rs 1000 but the district health and police department are not taking any measures to implement this law effectively.

Earlier, large number of flexi and billboards were setup to educate the people about the harmful effects of smoking. The teams of enforcement directorate and the department of health used to work in tandem and used to take up anti-smoking campaigns to enlighten the masses but now, unfortunately, it has been stopped.

Tobacco lovers and addicts are found smoking in large with nonchalance in overcrowded areas in bus stands, railway stations, busy streets, government offices and markets.

A few years ago, the police and health department officials used to collect Rs 100 to Rs 200 from those found smoking in public places by booking nearly 150 people every day.

In one month, 5,000 such cases used to be booked. Unfortunately, for some reasons, they stopped this practice, thus polluting the air. Moreover, charge sheets also used to filed in the courts against those violating the anti-smoking law.

Summons were issued to the violators and they had to be present in the court on the day and they used to be imprisoned for a day or two.

Speaking to The Hans India on Friday, some of the non-smokers lamented that the lungs of passive smokers were also affected and they would be prone to deadly diseases.

They expressed the hope that the police and health department officials would take stringent action against the smokers.

By: S Anjaneyulu