Bengaluru, Aug. 2 -- In a push to curb the dangers of second hand smoking, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city's civic administrative agency, has issued formal warnings to more than 500 hospitality venues, including hotels, pubs, lodges, clubs, bars and restaurants. These establishments are now mandated to establish enclosed, designated smoking zones on their premises.

The action follows a directive from the Karnataka High Court aimed at safeguarding non-smokers from the health hazards of passive smoking. As per the guidelines, any business with over 30 seats or 30 hotel rooms must create a separate area solely for smoking - isolated from the rest of the space where smoking will be strictly forbidden, according to a N...