Bengaluru restaurants to give up smoking zones for better business

BENGALURU: While the Global Adult Tobacco Survey - 2 (GATS-2) reveals that 14 per cent of adults were exposed to second-hand smoke at restaurants in Karnataka, many outlets which were allowing smoking on their premises, either by setting up a Designated Smoking Area (DSA) or not, have decided to become 100 per cent ‘smoke-free’.

Against the backdrop of National Cancer Awareness Day on November 7, ‘Kaara: By the Lake’, a cafe located at Ulsoor, has gone 100 per cent smoke-free and does not permit smoking on its premises anymore. “Going 100 per cent smoke-free will result in good health of customers, staff, and increased business,” says Radha Nair, owner of the restaurant. 

“Families prefer to dine-in at places which do not allow smoking. Children, women, and senior citizens feel uneasy when exposed to tobacco smoke. We felt that we could free the smoking zone to allow more customers, rather than wasting this space for an activity unhealthy for both customers and staff,” she said, adding that she was hopeful that more cafés and restaurants would go smoke-free to boost business.

An NGO fighting for the regulation of tobacco products said that lately, more restaurants have been going ‘smoke-free’. “This change in the mindset of establishment owners is that they want more family customers to dine-in and don’t want to compromise with the health of their employees, who were otherwise exposed to ‘second-hand smoke’, making them more prone to cancer and related disorders,” a release said.

Oncologist and member of the High Power Committee of the state government, Dr Vishal Rao, said, “Smoke from tobacco products contains harmful chemicals which can have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. It can lead to coronary heart disease, stroke, and several cancers. It is admirable to see some restaurants becoming 100 per cent smoke-free. It is high time that other restaurants take a cue and follow.”

Cancer cases likely to spurt to 15.7L by 2025
Based on current trends, cancer cases are likely to go up to 15.7 lakh by 2025 from 13.9 lakhs in 2020, as per the recent National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020, released by The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, Bengaluru recently.