If the tax on tobacco is increased, then prevention will be possible – Sunny Suryavanshi
India and tobacco
India is the second largest consumer and producer of tobacco based products. Tobacco use is one of the main factors of health diseases including many diseases like cancer, lung diseases and heart diseases. India is not only one of the largest tobacco producing countries but is also responsible for 1/6th of all tobacco use deaths in the world. Not only this, the level of tobacco consumption among adolescents is continuously increasing and many discrepancies are also being seen in the current tobacco policy of India.
In such a situation, we need to formulate a better tobacco policy that takes into account all the problems. Although efforts have been made by the Government of India and the governments of different states from time to time to stop tobacco and efforts are continuing.But the governments have not been completely successful in doing this. The Government of India passed the National Tobacco Control Act in May 2003.This law was named the “Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products” (Prohibition of Advertising and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act. It comes to the fore why tobacco control is necessary. Tobacco use increases medical expenses and decreases household income, leading to poverty.
The Need of better tobacco policy
It is noteworthy that the economic cost of tobacco use in India is estimated to be Rs.1,04,500 crore per annum. Most of the poor living in villages do not have access to television. Therefore, campaigns warning against smoking do not yield the necessary benefits. An important task of its prevention can also be that before putting it into use for the new generation, taxes should be increased excessively so that the people of the lower classes (poor, laborers, helpless) cannot easily buy it. There is a need for a significant increase in taxes on tobacco products other than cigarettes such as bidis and smokeless tobacco. If the price increases, people will use it less. Although protests by workers involved in beedi making are inevitable in these circumstances, health safety should be given priority.
People have to be educated and made aware for tobacco control and for this a comprehensive approach should be adopted.The government has to play an important role in preventing the illegal sale of tobacco products, but at the same time the participation of the general public is also essential.It is noteworthy that under the Directive Principles of State Policy, Article 48 of state, that the state should make continuous efforts to improve public health.Therefore, a modern democratic state like India has to move ahead by looking at the existing flaws in the current tobacco policy to fulfill its social obligations.
Sunny Suryavanshi ( Chamba)
Environmentalist & Social Activist
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