Stop Smoking Way

Cigarette smoke — ugh. Just the thought makes me shudder. It’s the one scent that can truly drive me from mannered to raving lunatic. I can’t even walk by someone smoking on the sidewalk without my eyes watering and nose starting to hurt.

You see, I was pretty much born and raised on second-hand smoke. I was a preemie in 1970 and used to joke that I just couldn’t wait to escape my smoking mom’s body. As a child, I was constantly sick. A cold didn’t just last a few days for me. It would last for weeks and months. I’m fairly certain my lungs will never fully recover from a childhood trapped in smoke-filled rooms and cars.

Upholding Central government’s stand to impose ban on smoking in public private places from October 2, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to issue a stay order in this regard.

Illustrating that no judicial body can pass any order denigrating this stand of government on smoking, a bench constituting Justice B N Agarwal and Justice G S Singhvi said: “We are of the view that it is not a fit case for grant of interim relief.

The prayer staying implementation of prohibition of smoking in public places is rejected.”