“Publicity Interest Litigation”: Supreme Court Calls Out Plea On Smoking
The Supreme Court rejected a request for guidance on Friday about the removal of designated smoking areas from public spaces and airports, raising the legal smoking age, and prohibiting the sale of cigarettes near houses of worship, medical facilities, and educational institutions.
When a court led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul decided not to consider the request, they stated, “Create a compelling argument if you want attention. Do not bring a publicity interest lawsuit “. The petition asked for guidance on how to toughen the penalties for smoking in public places, prohibit the sale of loose cigarettes, and establish rules on how to handle the air filtering in areas where smoking is permitted.
“To prevent inducing smoking among non-smokers, issue guidelines and order dedicated ions for phasing out the smoking zones at airports, clubs, restaurants, hotels, public locations, and even in private properties being utilised for commercial purposes. Give instructions on how to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21 years, “There was a plea.
According to the petition submitted by attorneys Shubham Awasthi and Saptarishi Mishra, the sale and addiction of cigarettes in the nation as well as similar products affect citizens’ rights to health, and public smoking in places like airports, restaurants, and clubs that have designated smoking areas encourages teenagers inadvertently to start smoking.
The plea had stated, “In 2018, WHO released its factsheet on the prevalence of tobacco consumption in India and it has quoted younger population in India to be at increased risks of cardio-vascular diseases and tobacco among which cigarettes are a major contributor killing 9 million people in India or 9.5 per cent of all deaths in India.”
The prevalence of smoking has reportedly increased over the past 20 years to the point where, among people aged 16 to 64, India is currently ranked second in the world for the percentage of smokers.
The tremendous economic cost of secondhand smoke exposure in India has been highlighted by a study published in the Journal of Nicotine and Tobacco Research, according to the argument.
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