Remove designated smoke rooms in hotels, airports: Doctors, cancer victims urge govt

Health activist and a victim of passive smoking, Nalini Satyanarayan said that exposure to passive smoking happens in designated smoke rooms in eateries.

Hyderabad: On the occasion of No Smoking Day on March 8, doctors, cancer victims and hotel associations have urged Government of India to further strengthen Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 by removing remove designated smoking rooms at hotels/restaurants and airports to protect people from second-hand smoke and make India 100 percent smoke free.

“All designated smoking areas in hotels and restaurants and even airports should be abolished to ensure a 100 percent 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 Harit Chaturvedi, Chairman of Max Institute of Cancer Care, said.

Health activist and a victim of passive smoking, Nalini Satyanarayan said that exposure to passive smoking happens in eateries specifically hotels, restaurants, bar and restaurant, pubs and clubs. “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,” she said.

Dr. G.P Sharma, president, Hospitality Association of Uttar Pradesh said that increasingly families who travel frequently prefer to stay in hotels that do not allow smoking.