No Smoking

There was this revoluntionary law that was recently passed in India prohibiting people from smoking in public places. As per the law, smoking will be banned in all public places and private offices. Establishments cannot even have designated rooms for smoking. The ban also includes hotels and restaurants. Only hotels with a seating capacity of more than 30 can have a separate enclosure for smokers.

The government is planning to authorise gazetted officers, including sub-inspectors, railway ticket checkers and school headmasters besides NGO officials to collect fines from people who violate the ban. Though in the beginning, the fine would be only Rs 200, the government is trying to amend the act and in future the fine may go up to Rs 1,000.

So far so good. While the law is very refreshing and heartening, I wonder how is it going to be enforced effectively. Lets take a scenario where a group of 4 people are found smoking in a public place by lets say a school headmaster. What is the headmaster supposed to do? Ask the 4 chimneys to give their identity, address and then tell them he is going to fine them 200 each and upon saying so the accused are just going to pay up. Right ?

I strongly feel that such sort of laws cannot succeed unless there is huge public particpation. You don't expect sniffer dogs to sniff each cigarrette butt and identify the culprit do you? Nor do you expect the police to keep a 24x7 vigil on smokers and their ills.
So how is this issue going to be tackled? We will have to wait and watch. All one hopes is that like many such other society betterment laws, this one too does not end up in smoke.