Monday, May 4, 2009

No more smoke rings, please.

I read just now, in the current week's issue of 'Outlook' magazine, about how our ex-Welfare Minister Anbumani's order, banning cigarette smoking in public places, got positive results in some quarters! Here it goes:

Chain Of Smoke Rings
It’s been over six months since Dr Anbumani Ramadoss’s killjoy decree changed the clubby atmosphere at the Outlook office forever. The air on the first floor, where six of us chain-smokers sit, is now so pristine it hurts to breathe. Without that white weed in our fingers, it hurts even more to find the mot juste, let alone render into intelligible English reports filed by our stringer in Jhanjharpur. We smokers have been banished, along with withered potted plants and broken office furniture, to the rooftop terrace. But there’s been an unexpected bonus—climbing three flights of stairs, several times a day, has done wonders for our fitness levels. So has cutting out all those cigarettes mindlessly puffed at one’s desk. Thank you, Dr Ramadoss...

Read further...

I loved this article of Nandini Mehta. I had been noticing for sometime now that smoking in public places like theaters, railway stations or shopping malls has come down drastically. I don't see many people smoking on the roads also. I am very allergic to cigarette smoke - I start coughing within seconds of inhaling the smoke. Anyway, this is a good sign.

Sometime back, I had read some article saying that girls also have started smoking and it is increasing day by day now in cities like Bangalore, Chennai etc., though, I disagree with this. I have not seen girls, here in Chennai, smoking. If they do so, I just sincerely hope that this new trend comes down fast - with some sincere leader/Minister's action! Not, Muthalik type leaders!

7 comments :

Destination Infinity said...

I don't know what is your take on this subject, but even some popular bloggers say that women should be given same freedom as men for things like drinking and smoking. I tried to argue in vain that let us try and stop men from doing all this, but the blogger was insistent that the freedom is more important! In Bangalore, women smoke right outside their office complex sometimes, but it is not a very common sight. I like one quote on this subject: "Form good habits, they are as hard to break as the bad ones.."

Destination Infinity

Anonymous said...

I like the ban a lot! because anythinh that gaurantees me some clean air to breathe in today's world is more than welcome :)
I liked that article a lot:)
I agree with DI on this point

Saritha said...

I agree to what DI has said and personally i don't like girls to smoke.
Nice u see a politican doing something good :)
I just can't stand the smoke :(

Solilo said...

I ahve no problem anyone smoking in their house but I don't want to be tortured by passive smoking. I am allergic to smoke too so it is all the more difficult.

But the unnecessary show offs on big screen like a Hero looks cool only when he smokes sends wrong message to general public and I like that ban. I mean it is okay if a scene needed it.

Anonymous said...

the smoker here will not comment on nething..

Anonymous said...

One of the only bans that I suppoorted was this :) Yes, public smoking is a menace and I really think that banning public smoking was a good thing..

Whatever people do within their houses is another thing..

Public smoking is banned in the UK - but you know, it is allowed in open areas - so you find groups of smokers outside train stations and bus stands - finishing off thir ciggies before going inside - and it used to irritate me so much - esp when I was pregnant - to have to walk through cig smoke!!!

Sandhya said...

Smitha: I noticed in the US, men (mostly) standing outside their office buildings and smoking. They do not put the stubs in the dust bin, but on the pavements. I was wondering how they were allowed to do this. We were literally walking on the matted butts.

Otherwise, the areas we saw were so clean, except for New York's Time Square area.

I didn't fancy London railway platforms. People were smoking and throwing bubble gums and other things on the floor.

I didn't feel our Central station in Chennai, that suffocating, except for the fish (this is a port city, cannot avoid) and urine smell!!!

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