SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES

Ban on smoking in public places law flouted:

It is learnt and proved that when one smokes in public places, its bad affects fall on passive smokers as well who are in the vicinity. These passive smokers have to face the consequences of the actual smokers who flout the law as they also are forced to breathe the smoke of the real smoker.
There have been many protests from passive smokers. For people who smoke and consume liquor at public places stringent laws have been brought forward by the Tobacco and Liquor preventing Authority. This authority has brought in amendments to the existing and prevailing laws.
In this connection the Minister of Health, Maithripala Sirisena had quipped in his speech made on 1st June last year, that new amendments to the existing laws would be brought in soon “on the smoking opposing day”.
It is learnt that several reputed companies dealing with cigarettes had opposed to these amendments. Despite those protests the Minister had promised to take appropriate steps at any cost to curb this practice of smoking in public places like bus halts, railway stations and at places where people gather in clusters. This speech was made at the hotel Hilton.
Despite all these protests and proposed amendments the Minister may not be aware that a Member of Parliament from Galle district who attended with the President on a tour to South Korea had flouted these regulations and had been photographed while on the act of smoking while amongst a large number of passive smokers. What more could the Minister expect when a Member of Parliament himself flouts these rules laid via Acts of Parliament.