SC green signal to smoking ban

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Union government’s order making all public places ‘no smoking’ areas from October 2.

A bench comprising Justices BN Agrawal and GS Singhvi rejected the prayer of four writ petitioners, including one by tobacco major ITC, who had sought a stay on the enforcement of Anti-Smoking Rules, 2008.

The judges directed that no court would pass any order on any other petition that might be filed before it against implementation of the smoking ban that is going to be enforced from October 2, the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Earlier, additional solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam contended that at least one million people die every year in the country due to passive smoking.

The ban will be applicable in all public places including auditoriums, hospitals, educational bodies, amusement centres, restaurants and private offices as well as open spaces in these places.