Mumbaikars puff away on Day 1
MUMBAI: A country-wide ban on smoking in public places came into effect on Thursday with a Rs200 fine for those flouting the rule. Many Mumbaikars, though, continued to puff away. From ignorance to defiance, each had a reason:
“I think it’s not illegal to smoke next to a paan-bidi stall,” said Amresh Singh, a marketing executive in an MNC.
“I can’t smoke at home as my family doesn’t know that I do. If I am not allowed to smoke in hotels, restaurants, pubs and the workplace, where else should I go?” said his colleague, who did not want to be named.
“No one asked me to stub out my cigarette. A ban like this is not going to stop people. We will find some other way. When was the last time a ban was successfully implemented?” said a second-year student of Ambedkar College.
MUMBAI: A country-wide ban on smoking in public places came into effect on Thursday with a Rs200 fine for those flouting the rule. Many Mumbaikars, though, continued to puff away. From ignorance to defiance, each had a reason:
“I think it’s not illegal to smoke next to a paan-bidi stall,” said Amresh Singh, a marketing executive in an MNC.
“I can’t smoke at home as my family doesn’t know that I do. If I am not allowed to smoke in hotels, restaurants, pubs and the workplace, where else should I go?” said his colleague, who did not want to be named.
“No one asked me to stub out my cigarette. A ban like this is not going to stop people. We will find some other way. When was the last time a ban was successfully implemented?” said a second-year student of Ambedkar College.