Indian state clamps down on spitting citizens

From ABC, December 19, 2006

INDIAN STATE CLAMPS DOWN ON SPITTING CITIZENS

By South Asia correspondent Peter Lloyd


A southern Indian state has banned spitting and blowing the nose in public to curb the spread of disease.
The Government of the state of Kerala has gone on a mid-winter health offensive to stop the spread of tuberculosis, influenza, pneumonia, chicken pox and other diseases that are easily spread by phlegm and spittle.
A notice issued to government officials declares that foreign tourists view with revulsion the local custom of spitting and blowing one's nose in public without a tissue or handkerchief.
From the new year, public spittoons are to be installed on roads and public places.
Billboards will also be used to promote better hygiene practice.

Click to expand...

Thinking of, when public spotting was prohibited in your neck of woods, will probably show how far ahead – behind it is.

But looking at sporting fields, we are still to see somebody use handkerchief.

Timely thread considering the risk of an Avian flu outbreak or a reemrgence of SARS>

We currently work in China where such behaviour is a constant. The pavements, hallways and stairwells show evidence of expectorary deposits (polite way of describing phlegm, mucus, etc.). Soon these will be frozen into the pavement as we get into the colder parts of winter. Our everyday behaviour in public has changed - I never, ever put anything I am carrying (bags etc. ) on the ground; we take off our shoes on entering the house all the time. I've been known to wash the soles of my shoes from time to time.

I wonder whether the Chinese government will take a leaf from their Kerala colleagues and act before they have an epidemic on their hands. We were here during SARS in 2003 and saw just how effective they can be - when they set their mind to it. They shut down internal travel within days, cancelled all exams, meetings and gathering of people and installed washing troughs at the gates of schools etc.. Of course they have billions of throats and nasal passages to deal with, so draconian measures are on the cards.

Lets hope it doesn't come to that and that common sense pervails throughout the community; yeah, sure!

Oh and Happy New Year.