Extend policy of prohibition throughout the country: Ban Cigarettes in India

Impose a total ban on sale of liquor throughout the country

Central government should impose a total ban on sale of liquor throughout the country. At least effective steps should be taken o that at least poor people may not be consuming harmful liquor which in turns causes hardships for their families. Opening of liquor shops during lockdown by some state-governments for meeting fiscal-crisis for public-exchequers witnessed long queues and crowds on liquor shops. It was also observed that many poor persons were also eager to purchase liquor. It cannot be ruled out that many having got case-relief of rupees 500 in their bank-accounts from central government for meeting corona-crisis, might also been amongst those lining for purchase of liquor.

Liquor should be sold only on production of Aadhar cards, and every type of government-subsidy may be abolished on those purchasing liquor cards through their Aadhar cards irrespective of their being poor. It is unfair for tax-payers that their hard-earned contribution to public-exchequers may be provided to those who can afford luxury of purchase of liquor. It may be recalled that NDA returned to power in Bihar because women in the state unitedly voted for Nitish-led government having implemented prohibition in the state. If Bihar and Gujarat can have a total ban on sale of liquor, there is no reason that such a much-desired ban may be imposed throughout the country.

However, manufacture of liquor may be allowed to be continued firstly for foreign tourists and secondly for export-purpose which can fetch an appreciable revenue-earning in foreign echange.

Ban cigarettes and other tobacco-products

Haryana government once imposed a total ban on production, storage, marketing and sale of gutka, paan-masala, scented tobacco and all other such products. But success of the public-interest step always remained doubted as large-scale smuggling of these products was noticed from neighbouring states of Delhi Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. It will be adv9sable if Central Government imposes complete ban on sale and production of all tobacco-related products including cigarettes and other such harmful products Scented suparis and paan-masalas should be allowed to be sold only after certification from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to ensure allowed such products do not contain tobacco or other banned or harmful products. It is of no use to celebrate No-Tobacco-Day on every 31^st May without banning tobacco-related products.

When small countries like Bhutan and Ireland can impose a complete ban on manufacture and sale of cigarettes in their countries, there is no reason that India may not do so. Even family-members of smokers will support such a bold step, because it is the family which suffers from death of persons caused by smoking or tobacco addition. Smoking is an addiction started out of fashion at the young age when initial puffs even cause discomfort. Revenue-loss from ban on cigarettes and other tobacco-products will be more than compensated by funds saved on tobacco-related diseases. If self-regulation is the policy to check human evils, then Union Government should withdraw attempt-to-suicide from Indian Penal Code. Likewise using helmets by scooterists should also be made self-regulatory rather than being forced as compulsory.

But unfortunately tobacco-lobby in India is so strong that it even managed super-powered Group of Ministers in earlier UPA regime to dilute area and design of pictorial-warnings on cigarette-packs against wishes of the then Union Health Minister Dr A Ramadoss and other senior officials of Union Health Ministry. Proportion of pictorial-warning area on cigarette packs in India is lowest in the world with Brazil even having 100-percent area on both front and pack panels of cigarette-packs. In fact, pictorial-warnings however bigger or stringent are totally useless and ineffective for smokers.

Only remedy for effectively curbing smoking is to follow sensible countries like Bhutan and Ireland by imposing a complete ban on manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the country. Even family-members of smokers will support such a bold step, because it is the family which suffers from death of persons caused by smoking. Smoking is an addiction started out of fashion at the young age when initial puffs even cause discomfort. Revenue-loss from ban on cigarettes will be more than compensated by funds saved on tobacco-related diseases. If self-regulation is the policy to check human evils, then Union Government should withdraw attempt-to-suicide from Indian Penal Code. Likewise using helmets by scooterists should also be made self-regulatory rather than being forced as compulsory.

Shocking statement by YC Deveshwar, Chief of leading cigarette-manufacturing company ITC is also recalled that demand for imposing restrictions on cigarettes in India is on behest of foreign companies through some Indian Non-Government-Organisations (NGOs) so that foreign cigarette-manufacturers could smuggle imported cigarettes in India. He was critical of raising taxes on cigarettes for the same reason. Significantly our government committed great disservice to the nation by honouring this cigarette-advocate with Padma Bhushan in the year 2011.

However manufacture of cigarettes in the country may be allowed to be continued but only for export-purpose so that India may earn more and more foreign exchange through export of cigarettes to foreign countries.