Karnataka pays highest fines, but smokes like a chimney

August 13, 2022

The number of people fined for smoking in public spaces in the past three years is highest in Karnataka, touching 35 per cent of the total people fined in India. Despite the fine, public smoking continues and activists say they only marginally helped enforce the ban.
“Karnataka has been the leading enforcer of COTPA (Cigarettes and Tobacco Products Act) and various initiatives have been taken by the state to educate all stakeholders to make them compliant with the Act,” explained Dr Sharanappa SD, DCP East. He said the aim is to regulate public smoking and not prohibit it completely, and they have been taking up initiatives but have a long way to go.

The number of fines collected for public smoking is the highest, but this has only marginally improved the condition in the state,” said SJ Chander, Consortium of Tobacco Free Karnataka. There is rampant violation of COTPA and people continue to smoke near tea stalls, paan shops and other public spaces. He claimed that tobacco industries reimburse fines to tea stalls, and encourage violations because they don’t want to lose customers.
In all, 5.07 lakh people were fined from April 2019 to March 2022 in Karnataka, which is 35 per cent of the total 14.40 lakh people fined in India for smoking in public, according to data curated by Stats of India. Of the total fines, 50 per cent were imposed in Karnataka and Kerala.
Chander suggested that the fine of Rs 200 is low, and must be increased to create enforcement. Dr Sharanappa replied to this, stating that in an urban setup, the amount might be less but for people working in rural areas, it is a lot. He added that the labour class is a major consumer of tobacco-related products.
Meghana, a resident of Indiranagar, said she has seen people smoking around shops. Enforcement is not done properly, as money is taken from them but they are not prevented from smoking for the sake of their health. She also said there was a bias towards women smoking in public, as she was once caught and threatened by police, but a man smoking just beside her walked away and was not stopped.