Mysore/Mysuru: A Consortium of Oncologists has demanded ‘100 percent smoke-free’ public places in the interest of citizens.

They have favoured the designated smoking areas in public places like hotels and bars are either set up as per rule or are completely removed so that non-smokers are rescued from involuntary ‘passive smoking.’ In fact passive smoking increases the risk of developing lung cancer by 30 percent.

According to them, cancer cases were likely to go up to 15.7 lakhs by 2025 from 13.9 lakhs last year. This statistics is according the National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020, released by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Informatics and research, Bengaluru. 

As per the Global Adult Tobacco survey, 14 percent of adults were exposed to second-hand smoke at restaurants in Karnataka.