412 Bengaluru joints pulled up for no smoking area | Bengaluru News
NEW DELHI: The civic body in Bengaluru has issued notices to over 400 establishments, including bars, restaurants, hotels, pubs and clubs, for failing to comply with rules mandating designated smoking areas (DSAs). Over the past two days, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has served notices to 412 businesses across the city. The violations come despite guidelines being enforced last year that require all public refreshment places with more than 30 seats or rooms to maintain a designated smoking zone. The South zone saw the highest number of violators with 94 establishments served notices. Bommanahalli followed with 72, East zone with 63, RR Nagar with 52, Mahadevapura with 37, Yelahanka with 36, Dasarahalli with 35, and West zone with 23. The notices direct the businesses to construct a designated smoking area within one week or risk suspension of their operating licence. The BBMP says the rules are aligned with the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), which prohibits smoking in public areas and seeks to safeguard non-smokers and children. The DSAs must be enclosed, separate from non-smoking areas, and approved by authorities. No smoking is permitted outside these zones.
