Tamil Nadu records highest number of smoking violation

Updated on: 26 May,2009 11:28 AM IST |
PTI |

Tamil Nadu records highest number of smoking violation

The highest number of violation of the ban on smoking in public places has come from Tamil Nadu, the home state of former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who was instrumental in putting the ban in place.
A total of 9,648 people have been fined and a whopping Rs 11,42,950 collected as fine from the southern state for violating the ban on smoking in public places in effect since October 2 last year, a senior health ministry official said.
Delhi is a distant second with 3,671 people being fined for smoking in public places while interestingly Uttar Pradesh has the least number of 21 people fined according to the data available. The amount collected as fine from Delhi was Rs 3,85,964.
In Karnataka, 2,465 people were fined and Rs 1,15,398 collected while in Chandigarh 1,177 people were fined. The fine amounts are collected by authorised people and deposited in the designated court.
The Union Health Ministry has also launched a toll-free number to strengthen the reporting mechanism of such violations.
Toll-free number 1800-110-456 (24u00d77) was launched to encourage non-smokers and public at large to report violations under the Revised Smoke-Free Rules.
All violations on smoke free rules may be reported through this number, accessible from any place in the country.