CHENNAI: Ever since Unlock 1.0 kicked in on June 1, several tea stalls and petty shops across the city have been selling cigarettes, and people have gotten used to the old habit of smoking at public places.
Even as the government has ordered to maintain social distancing and with section 144 still under implementation, these shops, however, have seen hundreds flocking together.
Several shop owners across the city also say that most of their customers are office-goers or the ones who don’t want their families to know of their smoking skills.
“During the lockdown, police during the rounds came up and warned us not to sell cigarettes, or they would shut us down. But now, there is nobody to disperse the crowd, and I can only insist people to keep a distance from the shop while smoking,” said R Kumaran, who runs a petty shop at Abhiramapuram.
The World Health Organization in its website, clearly warns that smoking could lead to transmission of COVID-19.
“Tobacco smokers may be more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, as the act of smoking involves contact of fingers (and possibly contaminated cigarettes) with the lips, which increases the possibility of transmission of viruses from hand to mouth,” reads the website.
Experts here too warn of severe aftereffects. S Cyril Alexander, state convenor of TN People’s Forum for Tobacco Control said, the possibility of smokers contracting the virus could be higher, since their lungs are already damaged.
“While a complete ban of tobacco products is the ultimate solution, at least banning them, for now, could be helpful to evade the COVID threat. Last month, the Centre had recommended States to ban tobacco products during the lockdown, and many States had adhered to it, except Tamil Nadu,” said Cyril. He added that the city corporation had noted in one of its documents asking people to quit smoking, but it was not followed up.
“A shopkeeper with the virus, distributing to others from a packet, spreads the disease,” he said.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, a senior police officer under condition of anonymity said, collecting fine from public smokers has become less of a priority, because there is hardly any manpower. A wave of raids was conducted in 2016 after the Madras High court sought a report from the government about the fine collected from public smokers. A team was set up, however it subdued later because the members were posted out to other departments, said the officer.
There is no available evidence to support that smoking can increase possibility of contracting the virus, said Dr Bruno Josephine, an oncologist from Puducherry. “Since the harms of tobacco are well established, it can be said that smokers can fall prey to covid, mostly because it involves physical contact,” she added.
What the law says
Section 4 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act of 2003 prohibits people from smoking in public, and Section 6 of the same Act expects respective officials to implement measures to ensure effective protection to non-smokers from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke, and to protect children and youth from being addicted to the same