RESUMEN
Introduction: Exposure to second‑hand smoke (SHS) is a serious public healthconcern. The Indian smoke‑free legislation ‘Prohibition of Smoking in Public PlacesRules, 2008’ prohibits smoking in public places, including workplaces.Objective: To measure the status of compliance to legal provisions that protects thepublic against harms of SHS exposure, identifies the potential areas of violationsand informs policy makers for strengthening enforcement measures.Design: A cross‑sectional survey in 1401 public places across 11 district headquartersin Himachal Pradesh, India, using a compliance guide developed by partners ofthe Bloomberg initiatives to reduce tobacco use.Results: In 1401 public places across 11 district headquarters, 42.8% public placeshad signage; in 84.2% public places, no smoking was observed and in 83.7%,there was absence of smoking accessories such as ashtray, matchbox and lighter.Tobacco litter like cigarette butts was absent in 64.7% of the public places. Overall,at the state level, there was more than 80% compliance on at least three of the fiveindicators. Among all categories of public places, educational institutions and officesdemonstrated highest compliance, whereas most frequently visited public places,eateries and accommodation facilities had least compliance.Conclusions: The compliance to ‘Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules,2008’ was variable in various district headquarters of Himachal Pradesh. This studyidentified the potential areas of violations that need attention from enforcementagencies and policymakers
