Excise dept says no to smoking rooms in bars, pubs

Bengaluru: In a move to ban smoking in pubs, and restaurants the excise department has ordered mandatory removal of smoking rooms from bars, pubs, and restaurants, in connection with their license agreements.

As per the directive issued in this regard, the move has been taken to curb violations of second-hand smoking. As per the Karnataka Protection of Non-smoker’s act 2001, no hotels are allowed to have smoking rooms. Adherence to this rule is also an important consumer right issue for all passive smokers.

However, smoking in public places was already prohibited under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) of 2013. The COTPA also bans all forms of advertising and promotion of tobacco products. The sale to or by minors and within 100 yards of educational institutes was also prohibited.