To protect people from inhaling harmful fumes produced from smoking, the State government will be banning smoking in public places in Bhubaneswar, under the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003.

If all goes well according to the plan of government, Bhubaneswar will become the first ‘smoke-free’ city in Orissa in the next six months.

The government is leaving no stone upturn to make proper arrangements for enforcement of the anti-smoking act. People found smoking in public places such as stadium, bus stops, hotels, restaurants and cinema halls will have to pay fine up to Rs 200. Special officers would be deputed for monitoring, enforcement and observance of the ban.

Along with the ban on smoking in public places, the Act also prohibits sale of tobacco products to minors, near educational institutions, surrogate advertising of tobacco products, and display of pictorial warnings on packets, etc. 

Later, the smoking ban will be expanded to other areas also.

According to statistics, half of Orissa population uses tobacco against the national average of 34 per cent. Orissa also has the second highest number of women tobacco users, 34.9 per cent.