It refers to news-reports on Union Government considering declaration of printing of proportion/quantity of tar on cigarette-packs mandatory. It is clear that the government works under the influential and money-rich lobby of cigarette-manufacturers. This is why it takes just useless and ineffective steps to exhibit its ‘sincerity’ to make public aware of harms of cigarettes without taking ultimate step of imposing a complete ban on manufacturing cigarettes as is in the countries like Bhutan and Ireland. If ban on gutka can be imposed, though by individual states, then there is no reason that manufacture of cigarettes is not altogether banned.
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 contain human evils, then the 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!
Madhu Agrawal
Delhi