Smoke-Free Chandigarh

Welcome to Smoke-Free Chandigarh Website

On July 15, 2007, Chandigarh a union territory of India became free from tobacco smoke. It’s a first not only in India but also in any third world country. Till now only places in the developed countries like California, Washington, New York, Sydney, etc. were free of harmful and cancer causing tobacco smoke.

The tobacco control law (Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003) which came into force on May 1, 2004 but had existed just on papers. In July 2007 the law was for the first time enforced in its letter and spirit in Chandigarh. Once the decision was taken, the necessary notification empowering enforcement agencies to take cognisance of smoking in public were issued. A policy guideline was developed and a tobacco control cell was also formed to ensure proper compliance and substance of smoke-free Chandigarh campaign.

Hotels and Restaurants are the places where people come for leisure, enjoyment and for unwinding. (And not for getting exposed to poisonous and cancer causing gases and/or for increasing their risk of disease and disability)

People come to have good healthy and hygenic food in good ambience. Keeping the indoor environment clean, hygenic and healthy is the responsibility of the Hotels and Restaurants. The president of "Chandigarh Hotel and Restaurant Association," Mr. Manmohan Singh, puts the concept in the right words when he said, "Hotel and restaurants are in the business of promoting health; providing healthy food and ambience and will never expose their customer to something which cause disease, disability and death." The law provides that the hotels and restaurants be free from any kind of tobacco smoke.

Tobacco Fact 2

Because there is a lag of several years between when people start using tobacco and when their health suffers, the epidemic of disease and death (as it appears today) has just begun in this world. Millions are going to die due to tobacco.

100 million deaths were caused by tobacco in the 20th century. If current trends continue, there will be up to one billion deaths in the 21st century.
Unchecked, tobacco-related deaths will increase to more than eight million a year by 2030, and 80% of those deaths will occur in the developing world.

Tobacco Fact 3

Q. What is the connection between tobacco use and poverty?

A. The net economic effect of tobacco is to decrease an economy's productive capacity through death, increased poverty and higher health care costs. The tobacco epidemic makes global health inequalities worse. In most countries, tobacco use is higher among the poor than the rich and the poor suffer more from the consequences of tobacco-related diseases, creating economic hardship and perpetuating the cycle of poverty and illness. The early death of the primary wage earner is especially catastrophic for poor families and communities. In addition, money spent on tobacco means money not spent on basic necessities such as food, shelter, education and health care. In some developing countries, the lowest income group spend more than 10% of their household income on tobacco.