Key office bearers and senior representatives of hotel associations, including Kerala Hotels and Restaurants Association (KHRA); South India Hotels and Restaurants Association and South Kerala Hoteliers Forum at a recent meeting also committed to put up mandated signages and prevent customers and employees from smoking in their premises.
G Sudheesh Kumar, state president of the 20,000-member-strong KHRA said a general body meeting of the association scheduled on Dec 19 would take a scheme of implementation of the programme. The association would not implement this forcefully, but persuade its members. This would be implemented in a phased manner, he told Business Standard.
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According to the tobacco control legislation enacted in 2003 - Cotpa, hotels, restaurants, coffee bars, pubs and bars fall under the ambit of public places. Hotel and restaurant owners, proprietors, managers and supervisors have to display signboards stating, 'No Smoking Area - Smoking Here is an Offence', in English and in regional language of the specified size.
The law mandates that such boards have to be placed at all entrances and other conspicuous places inside the building. If there is more than one floor, the signboards have to be set up at each floor including the staircase and entrance to the lift at each floor. Owners are also required to ensure no ashtrays, matches or other things designed to facilitate smoking are provided. "The hotel industry, which has taken a lead in many aspects of social welfare, will also demonstrate its commitment to public health by ensuring tobacco smoke-free member institutions," said D Chandrasenan Nair, a leader of the hotel industry.