Bhubaneswar, Sept. 17 -- The Odisha government has declared the Lok Seva Bhavan premises a "tobacco-free zone", banning smoking, tobacco consumption and spitting of tobacco products on the state secretariat campus.
The Health and Family Welfare Department issued a notification to this effect, stating that the move was aimed at protecting employees and visitors from the harmful effects of tobacco use and promoting a clean and healthy workplace.
Violations of the ban will be treated as punishable offences under the law, the notification said.
The department said tobacco use is a major cause of several non-communicable diseases, including cancer, heart disease and lung disorders. It cited an estimated 1.3 million tobacco-related deaths annu...