Just over seven months into the ban on smoking in public places, the habit has been curbed somewhat but not tamed, government Health department officials have said.

Before she walked into a meeting to take stock of the effects of the ban, state’s Health minister Kiran Walia told Newsline on Tuesday: “You no longer see people lighting up at bus stands or inside public vehicles. We are hopeful that the level of awareness will increase further. Our main aim is to arm the non-smokers with their rights. We are telling them that they are legally correct to demand a smoke-free city.”

A fine of Rs 200 for the offence — and sometimes health officials do not demand the full amount either — was never a revenue generator for the government. Nonetheless, the Health department has collected nearly Rs 8 lakh as fine ever since the ban came into force last October 2.

Government numbers show a total of 7,457 people were fined for lighting up in public places, making the cash till richer by Rs 7,86,780.

The state’s Tobacco Control Officer Dr R P Vashisht said the amount was low since officials have not picked up the entire Rs 200 from every offender. Dr Vashisht said: “Our predominant concern is to raise awareness, and not harass the public. We do not necessarily take the whole amount. In most cases, the fine collected was only a token since we concentrated on informing the offender of the ills of smoking.”

The anti-smoking law specifies that anything between Rs 1 and Rs 200 can be charged for the offence, at the discretion of the fining authority.

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