In city pubs, tobacco rule goes up in smoke

Faced with widespread violation of anti-tobacco rules introduced by the state last year, a high-profile committee constituted to give suggestions to restrict smoking in public places has backed the issuance of a more stringent circular.

Last year, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had issued a circular calling on bars, restaurants and hotels to ban smoking in areas where food and beverages are served. Establishments that flouted the rule would lose their licences.

However, according to Dr Thriveni B S, the project leader of Smoke-Free Bangalore, not a single bar in the city has applied for a no-objection certificate from the BBMP to ensure that their smoking zones are compliant with the law.

According to the BBMP, no-objection certificates are granted after an inspection of smoking rooms in hotels, bars and restaurants to ensure that they were not a fire hazard and were compliant with the code.

Dr Vishal Rao, a member of the state’s High Power Committee on Tobacco Control who recommended issuing a new circular said vegetarian restaurants and Darshinis are by and large not guilty. “Any place with a bar usually has an illegal smoking room,” he said.

“It is in this context that the Excise Department had been asked by the BBMP to include their circular into the excise licence in order to further strengthen the efforts of the BBMP,” he added. A survey by DH of eating and liquor establishments in parts of the central business district found that a majority of pubs were flouting the 2018 rules.

Chandra Shetty, the manager of a pub on Rest House Road, said his bar was the only one on the street conforming to BBMP rules. He said other pubs were continuing to serve food and beverages in areas designated for “smoking”.

Excise commissioner Yashavantha V said action will be taken against the guilty.