Krishnabyre Gowda, Youngest member of Karnataka Assembly
"I am not the militant anti-smoking variety, but I fully endorse the rights of non-smokers. It’s an unstated rule for people visiting my residence to abstain from smoking—if I allow one person, then there’s the likelihood that the rest of my constituents, who come in droves to my house, may mess up the place. My fellow legislators are also becoming non-smokers—they’re very different from the Devraj Urs-Ramakrishna Hegde generation. Maybe it’s because their stress levels are high, and they don’t want to further jeopardise their health by smoking."
Alyque Padamsee, Advertising guru, Mumbai
"Nobody really wants smokers in a room—they’ve become the new pariahs. The smoke irritates my eyes and the smell irritates my nose, so if I’m asked ‘Do you mind if I smoke?’, I say, ‘Yes, I do mind if you smoke—go outside!’ I don’t know any smokers who still think it’s virile. When they are around other people, they’re in constant apologetic mode. Smokers are now being banished to the landing. They’re like dinosaurs—they’re on their way out."
Sudhakar Krishnamurti, Surgeon and andrologist, Hyderabad
"I believe that we have to create a stigma around smokers. I make it clear to everyone that smoking is not looked upon favourably in my home. The foul smell of stale tobacco latches on to everything. It’s high time passive smokers stood up for their rights. In the US, smokers are looked upon as lepers, people stamp their feet if you smoke in front of them. I started smoking at 18, heavily influenced by Westerns and the Marlboro Man who was the epitome of machoism, and gave it up four years ago—it’s an important cause of heart disease, and increases the risk factor in diabetes, erectile dysfunction and impotence."
The Scene Stealers
The WHO lists the top culprits for smoking on screen between 1991-02
Indira Jaisingh, Supreme Court advocate, Delhi
"I find it very difficult to be in the company of smokers. I start coughing, my eyes start watering. At home, I do have guests who smoke, but I don’t treat it as a moral issue—I don’t feel I have a right to prevent them from smoking. But I definitely think it is rude to smoke in an enclosed, AC space. And it’s not just a question of social etiquette—I know a lot of people who have developed bronchial diseases by exposure to other people smoking. Many people have told me they want to sue their employers for allowing smoking in the workplace."
Ashim Das Gupta, Finance minister, West Bengal
"If I see anyone with a cigarette in Writers’ Building or any public place, I make it a point to request that person to stub it out. Guests and visitors know I dislike smoking, so they don’t light up when they come to my house, nor do my cabinet colleagues when I am around. Our CM, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, is a heavy smoker, but he never smokes at cabinet and other meetings, so I have never had to request him not to smoke. I feel we non-smokers have a duty to discourage smokers—not only do they harm themselves, but also others around them."
N.Ram Editor, The Hindu, Chennai
"Nobody is allowed to smoke on the premises of The Hindu group of publications. Till 1999, we had demarcated spaces for smoking within the office, but owing to a sustained campaign by our health centre we introduced a no-smoking policy. No dignitary or friend, even if he or she is an addict, is allowed to smoke in my chambers or anywhere in the office compound. They will be asked to leave. Even at home, we do not allow anyone to smoke. We sometimes allow addicts to smoke within the compound, but outside the house. The only exception was G. Parthasarathy, former ambassador to China, who was a chain-smoker. But that was many years ago."
