Colleges, offices gear up for D-day

One day before public places turn smoke-free there is still apprehension about its implementation, especially in educational institutions and workplaces.

Organisations in Kolkata, which easily has the largest concentration of diehard smokers among the metros, employers are relying more on persuasion rather than penalty to do the trick. M Aich, section officer with Food Corporation of India in Kolkata, has arrived at an understanding with his juniors. Every half hour they will be alternatively allowed a five-minute break to step outside the office to smoke. “My colleagues have promised to respect the law,” he said.

Varghese M Thomas, vice-president (corporate communications) Cisco, Bangalore, said, “Smoking within the office premises is banned. Moreover, we have designated ‘smoking’ spaces. We will abide by the law and employees will have to follow the rules.” Infosys CFO Balakrishnan, added, “We already have a no-smoking rule within the campus and most of our campuses have designated smoking zones. We will have to see what the new law says and fine tune our rules accordingly.”

Vijay Kumar K, a Bangalore-based HR consultant didn’t feel the ban would affect him much. “Our organisation already has a smoking lounge. There are also dedicated no-smoking areas like the parking lot or the canteen. I smoke regularly, but I am not a chain smoker. The ban may affect the tobacco industry, not smokers.” Ashiq Pai, senior manager quality at Turning Point, Bangalore, was not too optimistic: “We already have designated smoking spaces in office but personally I feel it is a primitive law. If they have the health of the people in mind, they should ban the sale of cigarettes. How can you restrict smoking?”

Vishakh Maheshwari, director, Valencia Group, an ad agency in Pune, said: “Our office is in a building and we can only declare it a no-smoking zone if the entire building plans to implement the ban.”

Sakshi Mohan Saxena, senior branch manager with Bajaj Allianze Life Insurance, Jaipur felt it would be difficult to implement. “The number of people smoking in the city is considerably high and officials appointed to take action are few. If police are busy catching smokers who will take care of law and order?”

Most educational institutions are also reluctant to wield the stick, hoping to win the psychological battle rather than the legal one.

Arjun Das, head of the department (English) of City College, Kolkata, said he has appealed to his students not to smoke within the college campus. “I think my students will honour my appeal. But I cannot hound them in the college canteen, students’ union room or common room,” Das admitted.

Educational institutes in Ahmedabad say they have yet to receive any circular regarding the ban and most of their information is gleaned from the media. Gujarat University vice-chancellor said that from October 2, banners reading “Thank you very much for keeping GU tobacco-free zone” will be put up on the three main gates of the campus.

“This will have a psychological effect on smokers,” Parimal Trivedi said. But he was opposed to any fine as the university did not have any letter authorising it to do so.

Moreover, “punishment is the last option as I don’t believe it will work,” Trivedi added.
Rajiv Tuli, director, St Peter’s School Society, Lucknow, said his institution has planned a big event for the day which has been declared “anti-smoking day and are telling students it is as important as Gandhi Jayanti itself”.

But Gaurav Budhiraja, principal, Modern Academy, Lucknow, has resolved not to spare smokers on the campus. He said several teachers and other employees had been smoking on the campus, “but not anymore. I will take surprise rounds to ensure that. I had warned teachers who smoke to take care they don’t light up where students can see them. But half-measures don’t work. That’s why I have decided to ban smoking completely in my college.” Budhiraja has already sent out a circular that anyone found smoking would be fined Rs200.

Mrinal Raste, vice-chancellor of Symbiosis Institute, Pune, said the ban wouldn’t make much of a difference as “all our campuses are already no-smoking zones. Moreover, I have yet to receive any notice about implementing the ban.”

As for the students, some admitted they do smoke, but not in college campuses.
Shwetang Sharma, a student of Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, said: “Our principal has never said anything against smoking in the campus but no one dares to do so. If we can create a disciplined environment in society then there is no need for such a law in the first place.”

“We aren’t allowed to smoke in the college campus. I believe there also is a legislation that prohibits selling cigarettes within 5 km of an educational institute. But with shops in the vicinity of our college selling cigarettes, I wonder how effective the ban will be,” said Lakshmi N (name changed) a student of Christ College, Bangalore.

Meanwhile, hotel owners in Mumbai say they will have to convince customers not to smoke inside restaurants. Owing to the space crunch, most restaurants cannot afford to have separate smoking zones. “We will try and persuade customers not to smoke in the hotel, display ‘No Smoking’ boards and will not keep ash trays. This will definitely reduce the number of smokers,” said Ashok Shetty, owner of Shiv Leela, a bar and restaurant in Vile Parle. Talking to DNA, Shaikh Shakeel Ahmed, manger of Khyber restaurant at Fort said, “We will not be affected by the order because we have separate smoking and non-smoking zones. We can accommodate 40 people in the no-smoking zone from our total capacity if 225.”

Chandrahas Shetty, president of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants, said: “We are studying certain aspects of the law that say managers will be fined if any person is caught smoking in the restaurant and plan to take up these issues with the government.”
Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri (Kolkata), Deepak

Gidwani (Lucknow), Shruti Saxena (Jaipur), Kiran Dahitule and Ankita Maru (Pune), Ashutosh Shukla and Ninad Sidhaye (Mumbai), Vaishalli Chandra (Bangalore), Jigisha Doshi (Ahmedabad)