Smoking rooms at airports should be permanently closed: Experts

Hyderabad: Smoking room at airports has a grave risk for spread of Covid-19, Public Health Groups (PHGs) warned and demanded the immediate closure of those rooms.

PHGs member and Chairman of Max Institute of Cancer Care, Harit Chaturvedi said that there is growing evidence of smoking being a risk for Covid-19. Smoking will worsen lung function and reduce immunity. There is imperative need to close smoking room at the airports permanently to minimise the risk of virus spread as well as to reduce the health harm from second hand smoke, he explained.

Harit said that Covid -19 is most likely to be spread in smoking area as it is a closed area with poor ventilation and hygiene. Thus increasing the risk of spread of virus through surfaces and air.

Union government already banned the use of tobacco products in public places and spitting. Ministry of health and family welfare sent advisories to all States/UT's for taking necessary preventive measures by prohibiting the sale and use of tobacco products in public place to contain the spread of coronavirus and airports should be considered as public places and ban smoking, he added.