BENGALURU,: Restaurants and hotels have decided to adopt smoke-free to attract more customers and business to improve profits and saving costs for them. 

The hospitality sector is opting out of allowing smoking in their premises, as their contribution towards safeguarding the health of their employees and customers, especially during the Corona pandemic.

Restaurateurs, representatives from hotel & restaurant associations, tourism and health departments of states, doctors and global experts came together on Wednesday for a webinar organised by the National Law School of India University- ‘Smoke-Free Hotels/Restaurants are a Win-Win for health and business’.  They concluded that 100 per cent smoke-free establishment is a win-win for customers as well as owners. 

“Going 100 percent smoke-free is resulting in good health of customers, staff and increased business,” says Mrs Radha Nair, owner of Café Kaara. The Bangalore based cafe has completely stopped smoking in its premises and since then the restaurant has been witnessing more footfalls of families.

“Family customers prefer to dine-in at places which do not allow smoking. Children, women, and senior citizens feel uneasy when exposed to tobacco smoke. We felt that we could use the smoking area to seat more customers rather than wasting this space for an activity unhealthy for our customers and staff.”, Radha said and added that “We are hopeful more cafés and restaurants will go 100 percent smoke-free to boost their business.”

There is a growing trend in restaurants and hotels to do away with smoking in their premises and become 100 percent smoke-free. This changing mindset is to attract families with children and senior citizens who prefer to dine in restaurants and reside in hotels which do not allow any smoking in their premises. The establishments are also saving a lot of money that was being used to set up and maintain smoking areas. And they are able to protect their employees and customers from exposure to second hand-smoke.

“We are finding that families prefer restaurants and hotels which do not allow smoking. Many members of our association have voluntarily decided to become 100 percent smoke-free, and we are motivating others to follow. We want Telangana to be the model state in making all restaurants and hotels 100% smoke free. It is the right time for the government to completely ban the smoking areas, thereby making it easy for us to do away with these,’’ said, Mr. M S Nagaraju, Chairman, Hotels and Restaurant Association, Telangana.  

Renowned oncologist and Member of High-Power Committee of Karnataka government, Dr Vishal Rao said, "smokers who develop Covid infection have more complications and greater risk of fatality as virus seems to have more adverse effects for patients with non-communicable diseases. Smoke from tobacco products contains harmful chemicals which can lead to coronary heart disease, stroke and several cancers".