It is illegal to light up in public spaces and workplaces. Everyone knows this, but few put it in practice. To ensure that smoking in public is snuffed out, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has decided to fine violators on the spot. Two teams of AMC officials have been handling this task since June 1. Moving around the city in two vans, they are penalising offenders anything between Rs 50 and Rs 500.
Hitesh Pandit and Sanjay Sanghala (right) were caught outside H K Arts College. They had come to submit admission forms Till date, the teams have visited more than eight areas and fined over 500 offenders. “After fining offenders, we educate them about the harms of smoking. We also teach them about the ill-effects of consuming tobacco in other forms like gutkha and pouches (padiki),” said an AMC official.
Mirror accompanied the team during its drive in Navrangpura on Wednesday and found that most offenders were youngsters who had come to apply for admissions to colleges. “They were trying to show off. Most youths get addicted to tobacco or pick up smoking due to peer pressure. It is important to teach them the ill-effects of smoking,” said Ashwin Upadhyay, who heads the team.
To give more teeth to the team, two policemen are likely to join the anti-tobacco team. “We have written to the Commissioner of Police for two police sub-inspectors. We expect them to join us in the next few days,” said Upadhyay.
Health committee chairman Suresh Patel said, “Our aim is not just to penalise those smoking in public. We want the offenders to learn how their addiction harms them as well as those around them.” At present, the teams have been scheduled to roam city streets for next three months.The initiative has been taken in association with the state health department.
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