The habit of SPITTING IN PUBLIC PLACES merits an immediate clampdown with urgent measures needed to plug a gap in disease prevention in the context of a pandemic. The dreaded coronavirus has been transmitted through saliva, yet SPITTING continues unabated on virtually every street of our country right through covid. Those who spit move masks aside to spit, not realising the link between spitting and covid!

NOW is the best time to publicize the fact that spitting spreads disease and endangers a thousand more. No-spitting ought to have been included in essential covid appropriate behaviour lists; with masks, distancing, hand hygiene alone ineffective while spitting continues. If we can get those who spit to understand this missing link, there is hope. If we do not use the opportunity provided by this health scare, we have lost the only chance likely for India to address this much-neglected social menace – it is literally NOW or never!

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has won international acclaim as a campaign with great potential to transform public spaces. This added focus of eliminating spitting can bring huge gains to public health, cleanliness and the Swasth Bharat movement, with a preventive, far-sighted approach. It can remove the slur that this deplorable habit has brought to our country for too many generations now.

Spitting in public places was made punishable on April 15th 2020 - our viral petition served to bring this under the national spotlight http://chng.it/bzXWkhsRVy In Mann Ki Baat of 26th April 2020, our Prime Minister exhorted citizens to give up this habit. However, this early action has not been followed through with significant messaging, either in advisories from the government or health partners ICMR/WHO. Public spitting is not an issue in countries from where Covid prevention guidelines are formulated. Thus, our government needs to have tailored Covid appropriate behaviour advisories to include public spitting, specific to India - still relevant if there is another wave.

The medical fraternity confirms spitting as a super-spreader of diseases, specifically coronavirus and variants, but also Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. India has the world’s highest TB caseload at 37%, which experts attribute to rampant spitting. It is relevant that during the early 20th century, UK/US eradicated public spitting by increased awareness linking spitting and TB, through sustained mass messaging. This is the need of the hour here as well!

Covid/disease spread is the critical reason to include no-spitting in preventive lists, choosing the prudent approach of prevention, especially given the possibility of a further wave. Additionally, spitting makes our streets filthy, bringing shame to our country. Governments spend incredible amounts to restore public spaces/property, be it Railways or structures like the Howrah Bridge impacted by rust from spit. It is a hapless choice of huge expense or filthy surroundings, either way a drain on public resources, poor health, hygiene and a blot on our nation’s pride.

As proud Indians, we cannot let this continue to happen! NOW is the time to make it clear that spitting in public places is no longer acceptable, and break this habit tolerated for generations. We citizens must also do our bit to call out spitting and no longer turn the other way, but it is time for our government to ‘lockdown’ the habit once and for all! It is surely possible to roll out a concerted campaign in collaboration with civil society, taking immediate measures as below:

1. Covid appropriate behaviour MUST include no-spitting in all advisories, posters, pre-recorded/automated/all messaging should there be a further thrust based on the evolving pandemic.
2. It must become clear that spitting is no longer acceptable even post-covid - please mandate no-spitting signs with fine amount at all public locations, train/bus/auto terminals, entrance to premises, paan shops, hospitals, etc.; announcements & videos where possible. 
3. Enforcement for spitting must happen; reporting in media has high deterrent value. Challans through CCTVs at traffic signals can be integrated with traffic monitoring systems as in Ahmedabad https://fb.watch/7MO5iXQLJu/
4. Mass awareness is urgently needed through a focussed campaign/IEC (our volunteer group Beautiful Bharat has created resources for immediate use, videos https://rb.gy/mrzwmp posters https://rb.gy/qthqs7 ; these also make it easy for concerned citizens to keep the subject alive and spread awareness, also essential for faster impact on the ground.)
5. Swacch Survekshan rankings must specifically factor spitting impact on visual cleanliness.
6. Stringent norms needed on paan masala/gutka chewing, huge contributors to the menace; regulation of sales with mandatory no-spitting signs, regulation of advertising essential to promote responsible consumption (slogans like ‘don’t chew and spit’ on such packets must be mandated.)
7. School syllabus must include no-spitting as part of civic behaviour and hygiene, so every child is taught that public spitting is not okay.
8. The government must build a partner network of civic/community groups, NGOs. etc to drive awareness-building. The #StopIndiaSpitting movement already has such a network in place, providing a ready foundation for a partnership with the government.

Dear Prime Minister and decision-makers, we count on you to do what 41,000+ Indians strongly petitioned for in March2020, to ease out the habit of public spitting. We await your verdict agreeing that spitting will be addressed with immediate steps. Covid can be a turning point for spitting in India, if we combine forces to #StopIndiaSpitting for a #SpitFreeIndia and make India proud.

PETITION BY groups representing #StopIndiaSpitting & #SpitFreeIndia, partnering in a mass movement against spitting.

The StopIndiaSpitting movement is an alliance of 85+ partners across the country from civic, community, social, education, service & other sectors, working to raise awareness about public spitting. It is championed by Beautiful Bharat (earlier Beautiful Bengaluru), a citizen volunteer group working for a clean, green, safe nation and greener planet (stopindiaspitting@gmail.com or beautifulbharat.org@gmail.com) in partnership with SpitFreeIndia campaign by Sare Jahan Se Acha Foundation (a Sec 8 Not for Profit company, spitfreeindia@gmail.com)  and Spitfreeindia.org (driven by doctors who agree spitting must stop!)

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