India: Traffic Police To Act Tough against Drivers, Commuters for Smoking

Source from:  The Daily Rising Kashmir 12/15/2014

The Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) has decided to act tough against those who are found smoking while driving or travelling in public transport.
Inspector General of Police (Traffic J&K) in an order issued here has asked all district officers to penalize all those who are caught smoking while driving or travelling in public buses in the State.

"There are reports that the menace of smoking in vehicles in general and Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) in particular is continuing unabated. This is a clear violation of the standing instructions on the subject raising fingers towards the working of the traffic police in checking the menace especially in PSVs," the IGP said in a circular issued here.

"In order to book the violators under relevant provisions of law, all the Deputy Commissioners are advised to print challan books for distribution among the law enforcing agencies so that the nuisance of smoking is controlled," the circular read.

Notably, Jammu and Kashmir is fast emerging as the smoking capital of north India. The state's monthly spending on smoking tobacco exceeds the national monthly expenditure averages.

While in India, smokers aged 15 and above spend Rs 399.20 a month on cigarettes and Rs 93.40 on bidis, those in JK spend Rs 513.60 and Rs 134.20, respectively, on these tobacco forms.

Health hazards due to passive smoking are also more in J&K than elsewhere in the Northern region of India.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), secondhand smoke is a major cause of serious diseases and premature death in non-smoking adults and children. Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including at least 60 known to cause cancer.

Smoke is a scientifically proven cause of lung cancer, heart disease, serious respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and asthma, sudden infant death syndrome and low birth weight. Enditem