The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking direction for removing designated smoking zones from commercial places and airports, increasing the age of smoking, banning the sale of cigarettes near educational institutions, healthcare institutions and places of worship.
A bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul while declining to entertain the plea said, “If you want publicity argue a good case… Don’t file publicity interest litigation”.
The plea had sought direction for increasing the penalty for smoking in public places, ban of the sale of loose cigerrates, creation of guidelines to handle filtration of air at places that have smoking zones, “Issue guidelines and direct dedicated ions for closing the smoking zones at airports, clubs, restaurants, hotels, public places and even in private properties being used for commercial purposes in a phased manner so as not to induce smoking among nonsmokers.