snuffing out freedom, the smoker or the cigarette?

Putting into effect the legislation to ban smoking in public places has not won my vote though it is for a great cause because I am a proponent of freedom for everything, including freedom to follow vices. Man should be educated so that s/he is able to make the decision- to smoke or not to smoke. We elect the government so that it channels the energy of a billion individuals to bring about improvement in society thus elevating the population to a higher standard of living and not allow a select group of individuals to force their whims down the throats of the citizenry.

Once upon a time, I was an avid smoker and I admit I enjoyed every second of it. Time passed, I changed and now I have been a non-smoker for more than 10 years. I was not addicted to it; I just enjoyed a great smoke after a meal, when sitting with friends, thinking about a problem or simply gazing at the stars. I quit because I quit. No one coerced me and neither did I try to quit smoking. Both smoking and quitting smoking were very natural to me and I did not struggle with either.

Why am I feeling the pain inflicted on the smoker by this ban? Upon pondering, I found out its cause lies in my love and respect for freedom at all costs. Why do some people smoke and others not? Did Mr. Ramadoss dwell on this? I doubt it. His behavior seems to tell me only one thing- I will do whatever strikes my mind; I will bulldoze through all opposition(sometimes a good thing); I will overlook the adverse impact to the populace; I will not plan for implementing an exercise of national purport. He reminds me of a stubborn child. I guess Mr. Ramadoss is not a smoker and hence does not understand everything involved in the process of smoking. Some people smoke for the sake of smoking, they are not addicts; some are occasional smokers and lastly, some are addicts. Many people smoke because they enjoy it. The smoker is not the culprit; it is smoking that needs to be curtailed and not the smoker.

The problem is not with the smoker; it is the smoke that is annoying and poses a major health-hazard to smokers and non-smokers alike. However, the government cannot impose its will upon the public. The Minister should have spent some time with the industry that feeds the smokers, enforcement agencies, NGOs and other affected groups and come up with a plan rather than suddenly putting the ban into effect. His actions are likened to those of a person who has seen a nightmarish dream. Smoking has been extant for quite some time in our society and it cannot be eradicated with the wave of a wand. It requires education, awareness, diligence and cooperation from the citizens. The public cannot change its habits immediately and nor can the industry. After all, we are all humans and we are all resistant to change.

Laws without clarity and awareness only increase corruption in a society that is already mired in it. The specific places where smoking is not-allowed/allowed should be stated clearly without ambiguity. The infrastructure in the country, currently, does not discriminate between smokers and non-smokers. The hotels, bars, workplaces, cinema halls, public buildings, etc. should have separate areas where they can enjoy a smoke.

The industry and the public should probably be given a timeline of 25-30 years in which they slowly phase out harmful tobacco products and replace them with other products to still sustain their livelihood. This will save the companies and ease the pain on both the investors, the farmers and the general public. The companies should be motivated to find alternative uses for tobacco. The farmers should also be given incentive to switch to producing other cash products. The health ministry should get funds allocated so that it can drive educational programs on a large scale. To replace the hunger of the smoker, the smoker should be educated to resort to fitness programs like yoga, martial arts, aerobics, etc. Time will fly by and one fine day, everyone will realize that we have a cleaner environment and people freed from the vice of smoking.