Smoking Rooms

Under the law, certain public places, such as airports, workplaces, etc., may have a room for smoking any tobacco product within their premises. These smoking rooms must abide by the following specifications¹:

• The room is physically separate and walled on all four sides
• The entrance must have an automatically closing door
• Has negative air pressure (a technique often used to prevent cross-contamination between rooms) when compared with the rest of the building
• Has an airflow system. This must allow the air to flow outside and not mix with other parts of the building, among other specifications²
• A board should be displayed at the entrance of at least 60 cm × 30 cm which states (in English and one Indian language) that “tobacco smoking is harmful to your health and the health of non-smokers” and the “entry of persons below the age of eighteen years is prohibited.”³

In addition, depending on the kind of establishment, more rules may apply for the smoking area. For example, for airports and restaurants with capacity to seat at least 30 persons, the smoking room cannot be at the entrance or the exit.⁴

1. Section 2(e), the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008. [↩]
2. Schedule I, the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008. [↩]
3. Section 2, the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places (Amendment) Rules, 2017. [↩]
4. Section 4(2), the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008. [↩]