Goa mulling imposing ban on smoking in public places: Minister

The BJP-led Goa government is mulling imposing a ban on smoking in public places, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Tuesday.

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He added that his department had moved a file in this connection to concerned authorities in the government for its implementation. Rane gave this information through a video message released during the 'Launch of Mission Tobacco Free' event at

Goa Medical College and Hospital here. "We are committed to making Goa tobacco-free. For that we need to ban smoking in public places. The government will identify smoking zones in the state. Violators will be punished heavily," he said. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2018 by the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare had revealed that 9.7 percent of adults in Goa either smoke or use smokeless tobacco. 

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