New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) Over 60 percent of bars-cum-restaurants across the country have been found to be openly flouting the ban on smoking in public places, a year after the law was implemented, says a study.
The Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) study conducted by an NGO, Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), along with 11 partner organisations revealed that out of the 211 restaurants surveyed across 16 cities, 127 flouted the no-smoking ban.

Binoy Matthew of VHAI said: “We found that fine particle air pollution is 32 times higher than the WHO recommended guidelines for air quality in non-compliant bars-cum-restaurants.”

“Consequently, employees and customers in those places are at increased risk of adverse health effects, especially heart attacks, lung cancer and serious respiratory illnesses,” he added.

In Delhi, of the 12 restaurants and bars visited, five were found to be flouting the law by allowing smoking without following the Designated Smoking Room (DSR) norms.

“The level of fine particle air pollution in the places where smoking was observed was 64 times higher than the WHO target air quality guidelines,” Matthew said.

On the positive side, among all the 211 places surveyed, pollution levels were found to be 81 percent less in smoke-free bars cum restaurants and air quality significantly better.

“The government should effectively implement smoke-free laws and increase compliance through proper enforcement mechanism. Without enforcement, laws are of no use,” Matthew added.