Murli S. Deora Vs. Union of India & Ors.
EmailAppeal: Writ Petition (C) No. 316 of 1999
(Under Article 32 of the Constitution of India)
(Under Article 32 of the Constitution of India)
Petitioner: Murli S. Deora
Respondent: Union of India & Ors.
Apeal: Writ Petition (C) No. 316 of 1999
(Under Article 32 of the Constitution of India)
(Under Article 32 of the Constitution of India)
Judges: M.B. SHAH & R.P. SETHI, JJ.
Date of Judgment: Feb 11, 2001
Appearances:
Mr. Soli J. Sorabjee, Attorney General, Ms. Indira Jaisingh, Senior Advocate, Mr. R.S. Suri, Mr. Vipin Sanghi, Mr. Prateek Jalan, Mr. C. Radhakrishnan, Mr. P. Parmeswaran, Mr. S.K. Sabhar-wal, Mrs. Nirmalal Gupta, Mrs. Alka Agarwal, Mr. Ranjan Mukher-jee, Mr.M.P. S. Tomar, Mr. Jabar Singh, Advocate for Ms. Sandhya Goswami, Mr. A. Mariapurtham, Ms. Aruna Mathur, Mr. V.G. Pragasam, Mr. Rahul Ray, Mr. Umesh Kumar Khaitan, Mr. Sanjay K. Shandilya, Advocate for Mrs. V.D. Khanna, Mr. Anil Shrivastav, Mr. Ashok Sagar, Ms. Sonu Bhatnagar, Advocate for Mr. Rajan Narain, Mr. Arun-eshwar Gupta, Advocate (NP), Ms. A. Subhashini, Mr. Ajay K. Agarwal, Ms. Sangeeta Shamra, Mr. Mahesh Chandra, Ms.Krishna Sarma, Ms. Asha G. Nair, Ms. Ngangom Junior Luwang, Advocates with them for the appearing parties.
Head Note:
PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION
Constitution
Articles 21 and 32 – The Cigarettes (Regulation of Production Supply and Distribution) Act, 1975 – Cigarette smoking in public places – Harm caused to non smokers due to inhalation of cigar-ette smoke – Does it not amount to, indirectly, depriving of his life without due process of law – Public interest litigation – Petition under, Article 32, seeking prohibition of smoking in public places. Held, considering the adverse effect of smoking on smokers and passive smokers, a case is made out for prohibiting smoking in public places. Accordingly directions ordered to be issued prohibiting smoking in auditoriums, hospital buildings, health institutions, educational institutions, libraries, court buildings, public offices and public conveniences including railways. Compliance report directed to be filed in the court within five weeks.
Held:
In the petition, it is pointed out that tobacco smoking contains harmful contents including nicotine, tar, potential carcinogents, carbon monoxide, irritants, asphyxiates and smoke particles which are the cause of many diseases including cancer. It is alleged that three million people die every year as a result of illness related to the use of tobacco products of which one million people belong to developing countries like India. The World Health Organisation is stated to have estimated that tobacco related deaths can rise to a whopping seven million per year. According to this organisation, in the last half century in the developing countries alone, smoking has killed more than sixty million people. Tobacco smoking also adds to the air pollution. Besides cancer, tobacco smoking is responsible for various other fatal diseases to mankind. (Para 6)
Realising the gravity of the situation and considering the ad-verse effect of smoking on smokers and passive smokers, we direct and prohibit smoking in public places and issue directions to the Union of India, state governments as well as the union territo-ries to take effective steps to ensure prohibiting smoking in public places, namely:
(1) Auditoriums
(2) Hospital buildings
(3) Health institutions
(4) Educational institutions
(5) Libraries
(6) Court buildings
(7) Public office
(8) Public conveyances, including railways (Para 9)
JUDGEMENT:
ORDER
1. Heard the learned counsel for the parties.
2. Fundamental right guaranteed under Article 21 of Constitution of India, inter alia, provides that none shall be deprived of his life without due process of law. Then – why a non-smoker should be afflicted by various diseases including lung cancer or of heart, only because he is required to go to public places? Is it not indirectly depriving of his life without any process of law? The answer is obviously – ‘yes’. Undisputedly, smoking is injuri-ous to health and may affect the health of smokers, but there is no reason that health of passive smokers should also be inju-riously affected. In any case, there is no reason to compel non-smokers to be helpless victims of air pollution.
3. The statement of objects and reason of (The) Cigarettes (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1975, inter alia, provides, “smoking of cigarettes is a harmful habit and, in course of time, can lead to grave health hazards. Re-searches carried out in various parts of the world have confirmed that there is a relationship between smoking of cigarettes and lung cancer, chronic bronchitis; certain diseases of the heart and arteries; cancer of bladder, prostrate, mouth pharynx and oesophagus; peptic ulcer etc., are also reported to be among the ill-effects of cigarette smoking.”
4. Similarly, the statement of objects and reasons of The Cigar-ettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Bill, 2001, provides, “Tobacco is universally regarded as one of the major public health hazards and is respon-sible directly or indirectly for an estimated eight lakh deaths annually in the country. It has also been found that treatment of tobacco related diseases and the loss of productivity caused therein cost the country almost Rs. 13,500/- crores annually, which more than offsets all the benefits accruing in the form of revenue and employment generated by tobacco industry.”
5. In this view of the matter, when this petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India came for orders on 31st August, 2001, we have passed order for implementing 1975 Act. At that time of hearing, learned Attorney General as well as counsel for the parties submitted that considering harmful effect of smoking, smoking in public places is required to be prohibited. On this submission, we sought response of the central government. As no affidavit, was filed during the stipulated time by the central government, on 28th September, 2001, we were required to adjourn the matter. Today also, when the matter came up for hearing, no response is filed on behalf of the central government. However, learned Attorney General with all emphasis at his command submit-ted that appropriate order banning smoking in public places be passed. Learned counsel for the petitioner also submitted to the aforesaid effect. Counsel appearing for other respondents also supported the same.
6. In the petition, it is pointed out that tobacco smoking con-tains harmful contents including nicotine, tar, potential carci-nogents, carbon monoxide, irritants, asphyxiates and smoke parti-cles which are the cause of many diseases including cancer. It is alleged that three million people die every year as a result of illness related to the use of tobacco products of which one million people belong to developing countries like India. The World Health Organisation is stated to have estimated that tobac-co related deaths can rise to a whopping seven million per year. According to this organisation, in the last half century in the developing countries alone, smoking has killed more than sixty million people. Tobacco smoking also adds to the air pollution. Besides cancer, tobacco smoking is responsible for various other fatal diseases to mankind.
7. It is further submitted that statutory provisions are being made for prohibiting smoking in public places and the bill intro-duced in the Parliament is pending consideration before a select committee. The State of Rajasthan has claimed to have passed Act no. 14 of 2000 to provide for prohibition of smoking in place of public work or use and in public service vehicles for that state. It is stated that in Delhi also, there is prohibition of smoking in public places.
8. Learned Attorney General for India, submits and all the coun-sel appearing for the other parties agree that considering the adverse effect of smoking in public places, it would be in the interests of the citizens to prohibit the smoking in public places till the statutory provision is made and implemented by the legislative enactment. The persons not indulging in smoking cannot be compelled to or subjected to passive smoking on account of acts of the smokers.
9. Realising the gravity of the situation and considering the adverse effect of smoking on smokers and passive smokers, we direct and prohibit smoking in public places and issue directions to the Union of India, state governments as well as the union territories to take effective steps to ensure prohibiting smoking in public places, namely:
(1) Auditoriums
(2) Hospital buildings
(3) Health institutions
(4) Educational institutions
(5) Libraries
(6) Court buildings
(7) Public office
(8) Public conveyances, including railways
10. Learned attorney general for India, assured the court that Union of India shall take necessary effective steps to give wide publicity to this order of electronic as well as print media to make the general public aware of this order of prohibition of smoking.
11. We further direct the registrar general, to intimate the state governments/union territories as well as the commissioners of police as mentioned in our orders dated 31st August, 2001 and 28th September, 2001 of this Court with directions for submission of their compliance report in this Court within five weeks from today. Union of India shall also file its response at the earli-est.
12. List after six weeks.
1. Heard the learned counsel for the parties.
2. Fundamental right guaranteed under Article 21 of Constitution of India, inter alia, provides that none shall be deprived of his life without due process of law. Then – why a non-smoker should be afflicted by various diseases including lung cancer or of heart, only because he is required to go to public places? Is it not indirectly depriving of his life without any process of law? The answer is obviously – ‘yes’. Undisputedly, smoking is injuri-ous to health and may affect the health of smokers, but there is no reason that health of passive smokers should also be inju-riously affected. In any case, there is no reason to compel non-smokers to be helpless victims of air pollution.
3. The statement of objects and reason of (The) Cigarettes (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1975, inter alia, provides, “smoking of cigarettes is a harmful habit and, in course of time, can lead to grave health hazards. Re-searches carried out in various parts of the world have confirmed that there is a relationship between smoking of cigarettes and lung cancer, chronic bronchitis; certain diseases of the heart and arteries; cancer of bladder, prostrate, mouth pharynx and oesophagus; peptic ulcer etc., are also reported to be among the ill-effects of cigarette smoking.”
4. Similarly, the statement of objects and reasons of The Cigar-ettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Bill, 2001, provides, “Tobacco is universally regarded as one of the major public health hazards and is respon-sible directly or indirectly for an estimated eight lakh deaths annually in the country. It has also been found that treatment of tobacco related diseases and the loss of productivity caused therein cost the country almost Rs. 13,500/- crores annually, which more than offsets all the benefits accruing in the form of revenue and employment generated by tobacco industry.”
5. In this view of the matter, when this petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India came for orders on 31st August, 2001, we have passed order for implementing 1975 Act. At that time of hearing, learned Attorney General as well as counsel for the parties submitted that considering harmful effect of smoking, smoking in public places is required to be prohibited. On this submission, we sought response of the central government. As no affidavit, was filed during the stipulated time by the central government, on 28th September, 2001, we were required to adjourn the matter. Today also, when the matter came up for hearing, no response is filed on behalf of the central government. However, learned Attorney General with all emphasis at his command submit-ted that appropriate order banning smoking in public places be passed. Learned counsel for the petitioner also submitted to the aforesaid effect. Counsel appearing for other respondents also supported the same.
6. In the petition, it is pointed out that tobacco smoking con-tains harmful contents including nicotine, tar, potential carci-nogents, carbon monoxide, irritants, asphyxiates and smoke parti-cles which are the cause of many diseases including cancer. It is alleged that three million people die every year as a result of illness related to the use of tobacco products of which one million people belong to developing countries like India. The World Health Organisation is stated to have estimated that tobac-co related deaths can rise to a whopping seven million per year. According to this organisation, in the last half century in the developing countries alone, smoking has killed more than sixty million people. Tobacco smoking also adds to the air pollution. Besides cancer, tobacco smoking is responsible for various other fatal diseases to mankind.
7. It is further submitted that statutory provisions are being made for prohibiting smoking in public places and the bill intro-duced in the Parliament is pending consideration before a select committee. The State of Rajasthan has claimed to have passed Act no. 14 of 2000 to provide for prohibition of smoking in place of public work or use and in public service vehicles for that state. It is stated that in Delhi also, there is prohibition of smoking in public places.
8. Learned Attorney General for India, submits and all the coun-sel appearing for the other parties agree that considering the adverse effect of smoking in public places, it would be in the interests of the citizens to prohibit the smoking in public places till the statutory provision is made and implemented by the legislative enactment. The persons not indulging in smoking cannot be compelled to or subjected to passive smoking on account of acts of the smokers.
9. Realising the gravity of the situation and considering the adverse effect of smoking on smokers and passive smokers, we direct and prohibit smoking in public places and issue directions to the Union of India, state governments as well as the union territories to take effective steps to ensure prohibiting smoking in public places, namely:
(1) Auditoriums
(2) Hospital buildings
(3) Health institutions
(4) Educational institutions
(5) Libraries
(6) Court buildings
(7) Public office
(8) Public conveyances, including railways
10. Learned attorney general for India, assured the court that Union of India shall take necessary effective steps to give wide publicity to this order of electronic as well as print media to make the general public aware of this order of prohibition of smoking.
11. We further direct the registrar general, to intimate the state governments/union territories as well as the commissioners of police as mentioned in our orders dated 31st August, 2001 and 28th September, 2001 of this Court with directions for submission of their compliance report in this Court within five weeks from today. Union of India shall also file its response at the earli-est.
12. List after six weeks.
