Karnataka government bans staff from using tobacco products in public offices

The Karnataka government has issued a directive banning its employees from smoking and using tobacco products in government offices and their premises. This move, aimed at safeguarding the health of employees and protecting the public from passive smoking, follows concerns raised over persistent tobacco use despite existing statutory warnings.
In a circular issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), it was noted that the government had received reports of employees consuming tobacco products, including cigarettes, gutka, and pan masala, within public office spaces. “It has come to the notice of the government that tobacco products are being consumed in public offices and their premises despite statutory warnings,” the circular stated. “In the interest of employees’ health and to safeguard the public and other government staff from passive smoking, the use of tobacco products and smoking by any government employee is completely prohibited in a public office and its premises,” it added.
To ensure compliance, the DPAR has mandated that warning boards be prominently displayed in appropriate locations across government offices. The circular warned that any employee found violating the ban would face disciplinary action.
The ban is reinforced by existing legislation, including the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act, 2003, which prohibits the use of tobacco in public spaces, as well as Rule-31 of the Karnataka State Civil Service (Conduct) Rules, 2021, which restricts the consumption of intoxicating substances in public.