Mumbai sends out Smoke signals...

If smoking is banned in public places, why is the government not enforcing it? That’s the question Mumbaikars are asking on May 31 — World No Tobacco Day. In fact, they told Speak Up that smoking should even be banned in nightclubs, lounge bars and restaurants

Our customers don’t visit Poison to smoke
Our night club uses ionizers, which filter out smoke and dust. Our guests are above 21 years, and are mature enough to decide what is good for them. We don’t have exclusive smoking areas. People don’t visit our club to smoke. It’s the ambience and music that draws them. There are only four night clubs in Mumbai — Poison, Bling, and Enigma at the Leela and Marriott. The city has many more lounge and resto-bars. The ban on smoking should be implemented at these bars, rather than clubs. 
 —Dilip Joshi.
 Director, Poison

An exclusive smoking zone is a good idea
The no-smoking ban in clubs has worked well in European countries. An exclusive smoking area sounds like a very good idea. However, a complete ban on smoking at Zenzi would mean that many regular guests would stop coming to us. So, I am not in agreement with a smoking ban. However, if the ban is implemented throughout the city, it would not impact our clientele severely. Most people visit Zenzi because of its food and ambience, and not just because they can smoke.  
 —Emilino Collazo.
 General Manager, Zenzi

We can’t force the law; smokers should take the initiative
Smoking is not desirable. The current smoking ban is being implemented only in certain public places like bus stops and government offices. The government hasn’t made a stringent law that bans smoking in all open areas. It is common knowledge that smoking is not only hazardous to the smoker, but also to the people around.  Passive smoking can destroy lives too. It is sad that some people endanger other people’s lives for their own pleasure. The police can’t change every person’s bad habits. Smokers should realise that they are a liability to society themselves. We can’t force people to follow rules. Society which includes smokers and non-smokers needs to come forward and make sure that the ban is implemented.
—PS Pasricha.
Director General of Police, Maharashtra

No-smoking zones don’t work in bars
Our bar has a no-smoking area. The idea of having a separate enclosure that is exclusively meant for smokers, can be difficult to implement. It is not a feasible proposition. We have strict rules that don’t allow underage person inside the bar. About 20 per cent of our clients do not smoke at all. If they complain, we offer them another table away from the smoke. In spite of using ionizers, the place gets smoky. Passive smoking is a concern for some of our guests but there’s little we can do about it.  
 —Hasan Rehan.
 Manager, Sports Bar and Brew Bar

Ours can be made a non-smoking lounge 
The air-conditioned section of our lounge is strictly no-smoking. People can use the hookah in the other section. I don’t mind making the entire lounge a no-smoking zone. However, many of our clients are office-goers who come to the lounge to smoke. If we had to prohibit smoking completely, then we would lose many of our regular customers. If cigarettes are being sold to  minors freely,
then what is the point of banning them in lounges, which are only frequented by adults? 
 —Dev Sanghvi.
 Owner, Spices & Flavours

We can’t depend on the police to implement the ban
The ban on smoking isn’t being implemented. I have seen people shamelessly smoking right in front of policemen. The police themselves don’t seem to know the rules. All police officers should implement the smoking ban strictly. Who said smoking is banned at the airport? I have seen airport employees smoking on the premises. I’d like to find
out how many people have been fined for smoking in public places. It is time
non-smokers come together to ensure the ban is implemented rather than waiting for the police to do it.
—Binesh Panicker

Smokers freely break the rules in public
The ban on smoking in public places has been ineffective. Like most rules, the ban is a mere formality. I have seen several people smoke in public without even blinking an eye. There are many who smoke while using public transport without showing any concern for fellow passengers. Strangely, I have not seen anyone being caught to date. So ideally speaking, the ban on smoking doesn’t make any sense. The police need to be stricter. I strongly feel that citizens should also try to understand the purpose behind the ban. I also feel that the smoking ban should be implemented at tourist spots  
—Tanuj Shah

The government should penalise smokers on the spot
The authorities are not implementing the ban effectively. They cannot be so lax; they have to be stringent. I often see people smoking in public areas, but they get away with it. The government is not strict and doesn’t seem to want to fine people, because most tax money comes from smokers. So the government is happy when cigarette packets are sold. Besides public spaces, the ban needs to be implemented in  restaurants, cinema halls , night clubs and especially outside colleges and schools. People should be made aware of the effects of passive smoking.   
—Sanchi Agarwal

SRK is a citizen and should follow the rules
The ban on smoking in public places is effective. It is difficult to spot any one freely smoking in public parks and cinema halls. Those who flout the rules are the ones who usually break all rules. They don’t understand that many innocent passive smokers end up suffering. The guilty should be penalised heavily. Our health minister, Anbumani Ramadoss has implemented many effective rules to stop people from smoking. His view that smoking should be banned in films is valid. Children look up to film stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt and try to emulate them.
 —Daksha Panchmatiya