Movie watching and tobacco policing

Dear Government

Every time I sit back and watch a movie,whether in a movie hall or in my home, I am inundated with anti-tobacco visuals/messages that come before, in between and sometimes after the movie (okay, i sometimes watch back to back movies so the ones coming at the beginning of another movie look like one coming at the end of the previous one). The present series of ads end with the lines "Don't smoke and don't let anyone smoke near you."

I am a non smoker and can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke. It was my habit since my days in a hostel not to let anyone smoke in my room. Whenever I see someone smoking near me, and if it is discomfiting to me, I do ask them politely to desist from doing so. 

So why is this message shown to people like me over and over again? The sight of a sick patient struggling with cancer (who ultimately succumbs), a little child breathing in the fumes exhaled by her father. I have had my fill of such sights as a doctor and I want to switch off and watch some nonsense like that 'Jumme ki raat' wala movie. And speaking of that, why do you need to cut down on kissing and love making scenes? (Hell, even poor James Bond was turned into Sanskari bond.) Such scenes are good for blood circulation, you know. But I digress. 

Coming back to the advice you gave: Don't smoke and don't let anyone do so. I have done my part. But have you? When it'll be a simple matter of making a law banning tobacco and ensuring it? Banning porn is easy. I won't go into beef. But does the health of the whole nation doesn't matter to you in front of those billions of rupees in revenues that you collect from the tobacco companies? 

I guess it doesn't.

You'll just give us lip service. And people like me shall rant. 

And feel better.

Yours sincerely

A non smoker.