Anyone caught smoking in public places would henceforth be prosecuted, according to an anti-smoking law passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Anyone guilty of the offence, according to the lawmakers, would be liable to four months imprisonment or a fine of N50, 000 or both.

During the consideration of the report brought to the House by the House Committee on Health, the legislators unanimously agreed that anybody who sells cigarettes to persons under the age of 18 years should be liable to two months imprisonment or N50, 000 fine or both.

Manufacturers of cigarettes were not left out in the bill as the recommendation of the report that manufacturing cigarette without label in both front and back of the pack indicating that smoking kills should be liable to fine of N100,000.

However, efforts by some members to amend the bill to include that the sale and consumption of tobacco at the nation's airports as well as some others designated as "public places'' did not scale through as majority of members kicked against the amendment.

The phrase indicating that the ban covers areas identified as "public place" for selling and consumption of tobacco, was replaced by hospitals, government offices, nursery, primary and secondary schools.

Also rejected was a section of the bill which provides that a total ban be placed on advertisements and sponsoring of national events by tobacco manufacturing companies.