New Delhi, May 31: The Delhi government has fined around 31,000 people, including 41 women, in the last two years for violating the ban on smoking in public places while around 3,800 errant tobacco vendors were penalised during the period.
 Raiding squads of the Health department inspected over two lakh places and an amount of Rs 27 lakh was collected as fine from the violators, Delhi Health Minister A K Walia said, giving details on the occasion of 'World No Tobacco Day' today.
 "The eight raiding squads visited 2,30,414 places and 31,000 persons including 41 females were fined for violations during April 2010 to March 2012. Around 3,800 tobacco vendors were also fined," he said.
 The World Health Organisation observes May 31 every year as No Tobacco Day to highlight health risks associated with tobacco use and advocates policies to reduce its consumption.
 He said the punitive actions have been taken as per provisions of the Delhi Prohibition of Smoking and Non Smokers Health Protection Act, 1996 and Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act, 2003.
 Both the legislations have provision relating to ban in smoking in public places, prohibiting sale of tobacco products to minors, prohibiting sale of tobacco products within 100 meter radius of a school and ban on advertisement of tobacco products.
 Noting that government wants to make Delhi a tobacco free city, he said around 3,000 people die everyday due to consumption of tobacco in India.
 Vowing to intensify the crackdown against the violators of ban on smoking in public places, Walia exhorted smokers to leave the habit.
 Walia said consumption of tobacco causes around nine lakh deaths annually in the country.
 "The city government is striving hard to make Delhi a tobacco free city and protect the health of the citizens as use of tobacco is a major cause of lung disease, heart disease, asthma attack, respiratory diseases, chronic cough and tuberculosis," he said.
 The Health Minister underlined the need for creating awareness against the use of tobacco and tobacco products like gutka.
 Walia also administered oath to the persons present in the function to stop use of tobacco. Officials said around 100 tobacco vendors today closed their shops as mark of support to the anti-smoking initiative of the government.
 According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2009- 10, nearly 241 million or 35 per cent of Indians (47 per cent men and 20.3 per cent women) are currently using some form of tobacco, which kills nearly 10 lakh people in the country every year.
 The WHO 2012 Global Report on Mortality claims that seven per cent of all deaths for people aged 30 and over in India are attributable to tobacco.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 31 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 31 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 1 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST