This view was expressed by many people this correspondent talked to. But most of them said smoking in public places should be banned to make some real success in the drive against this.

"This (banning smoking in public) will help reduce smoking", said rickshawpuller Ramjan Ali.

He was impressed seeing a big signboard erected at Brahmanbaria railway station on Monday in observance of the No Tobacco Day in the small town as elsewhere in the country.

"Smoking spreads among people when non-smokers, specially teenagers, see others smoking", said college student Sumon Akhter.

"Anti-smoking campaign creates awareness but I do not think this can reduce smoking. What is the harm if smoking in public placed is banned?" has said.

The small town witnessed a flurry of campaigns including holding of street corner rallies, discussion meetings, drama and erecting banners and signboards at public places and prime points on the occasion.

Officials, cultural activists and members of the civil society joined the programmes, organised by the Zila Dhumpan O Madak Birudi Sangathan" (district anti-drug and anti-smoking organisation).

In the morning, Police Superintendent ATM Tarek unveiled a big anti-smoking signboard at the railway station in presence of members of the anti-drug body and a big crowd.

The anti-drug body held a discussion meeting on the Brahmabaria Pourasava Market premises with its president Tanvir Bhuiyan in chair.

Speaking as chief guest there, the SP said police have already launched a drive against drug trading in the district. He sought cooperation of all to check it.

The SP said that children of a non-smoker father can not be a smoker or a drug addict. He urged parents to give to smoking.

The meeting was addressed among other by Mawlan Sayedur Rahman, Additional SP Md Jahangir Hossain, ASP (circle) Abdul Mabud, Brahmanbaria sadar thana OC Md Ismail, freedom fighter Jamal Uddin, Md Hanife, Md Jasim Uddin Jamsed, Md Tajul Islam Babu, Minhajul Islam, Nuruzzaman Laskar, Sirajul Islam, Abdul Basir, journalist Riaz Uddin Zami, Md Shah Alam, Mustafa Jamil Molla, Sajrul Haque Sujan and Md Ifteker Uddin Swapan.

The Regional Youth Development Centre here held a discussion meeting on 'The role of youth in making a non-smoking and anti-drug society' with Md. Mahbubur Rahman in the chair.