July 26, 2007
News- Maid will decide if you can smoke at home!
NEW DELHI: If you want to smoke at home, you will have to seek the permission of your maid. This is the new directive of Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who wants to make India, including homes and workplaces, tobacco-free. The tobacco-free workplaces rule will come into effect in another three to four months, he told reporters here today.
“All workplaces in India will be tobacco-free. People can then smoke on roads or homes, provided their wives allow them. But even at home, they will have to seek the permission of their maids as they are their employees,” said Ramadoss. “All places of work in the country will be declared smoke -free and those found flouting the law will be strictly punished. This rule will apply wherever there are employees working,” he said.
Ramadoss said this will be implemented in restaurants, hotels, airports and all places where people work. The law will be strictly applied, he said, keeping in mind the smoke-free indoors policy of WHO, which was adopted as passive smokers are found to be more at danger as compared to those who actually smoke. “We need to protect our women and children,” he said after receiving the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director- General’s Special Award for several initiatives for tobacco control in the country.
Ramadoss also announced the setting up of a Health Minister’s Cancer Fund, which he said will be run by professionals and reputed individuals. Inviting corporate and multinational companies to contribute to the fund, he said the money will be used to treat youngsters suffering from cancer. “There are one billion new cancer cases every year. We want to help the deprived section of society. Let us fight till India is declared tobacco-free,” Ramadoss said.
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