Bangalore:In keeping with its sustained anti-tobacco campaign, the Centre will implement a "workplace smoke-free policy" from October 2.

"Smoking will not be permitted in private and public buildings. Those wishing to smoke will have to step out on the roads," Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Anbumani Ramadoss said here.

The ban applies to all companies, including the IT sector, Ramadoss said. Companies could no longer have designated smoking rooms, he added.

The rule would also apply to small cafes, restaurants, pubs or discotheques. Hotels having more than 30 seat arrangement would have to create a separate enclosure for smokers and a separate ventilation arrangement as per the act, he said.

Currently the punitive action for those violating the ban is Rs 200 but the ministry is keen on increasing it to Rs 1,000 for individuals committing the offence and Rs 5,000 for organisations.

The government would run a series of advertisements highlighting the ban. Celebrities including Bollywood stars would be roped in to publicise the no-smoking rule.

A pictorial warning would also be carried on all tobacco products with effect from December 1. Tobacco manufacturers had been notified and given three months time to comply.

The Indian Government was an early signatory of an international agreement which requires the country to reduce the tobacco cultivation and consumption. Moving in this direction the government was keen to wean away tobacco cultivators to growing medicinal herbs, he said.

Giving an Indian perspective to the tobacco problem, the health minister said nearly a million people die owing to tobacco related health problems. Though the tobacco usage had dropped from 52 per cent to 26 per cent in the US, in India the number had increased from 15 per cent to 26 per cent

He said the ministry was also actively pursuing with the World Health Assembly to declare October 2 as World No-Alcohol Day. It was making efforts to push this agenda so that it could be brought into force from next year or the following year.

In India, the average age at which a youth is introduced to alcohol has fallen from 28 to 19 and now 13.5. A WHO study revealed that 14 per cent of 13-15 years had been using tobacco products.

Chandigarh, Bangalore, Delhi and Chennai were found to be among the highest drug usage incidents by youngsters, the minister said while calling for some "tough measures".

Speaking on the National Rural Health Programme, Ramadoss said the programme was a huge success and helped in transforming medical care and services in rural areas. The programme had come for international accolade, he said

The national emergency and trauma programme which envisages providing emergency services on national highway had received a cabinet approval of Rs 750 crore.

Plans were afoot that by 2010-2011 any one calling emergency service 108 would have an ambulance at their doorstep in 15-20 minutes, he said.

Inagurating the new blocks for emergency services, opening psychiatry and neurological rehabilitation at NIMHANS, Ramadoss said that India had a long way to go in terms of the national mental health services in the country.

He said an estimated seven per cent of the people in the country who suffer from some form of mental health problems and 1.5 to two per cent of those who suffer from several mental health disorders. However, trained manpower shortage was one of the problem affecting this sector.

Currently there wer 3300 psychiatrist mainly covering four metros and Bangalore and Hyderabad. A strategy had to be evolved to increae the strength of manpower, he said

He said NIMHANS had immensely contributed to the study in this field and had played a guiding role in chalking out the policy. He said he hoped that the institute currently a deemed university could be declared a centre of excellence through legislation.

Source : DNA