Centre may ban sale of loose cigarettes soon

The expert panel constituted by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has inter alia, recommended prohibition on sale of loose or single stick of cigarette, increasing the minimum legal age for sale of tobacco products, increasing the fine or penalty amounts for violation of certain provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA), as well as making such offences cognizable.

The Ministry has accepted the recommendations of the Committee and a draft Note for Cabinet has been circulated for Inter - Ministerial consultation.

The Health Minister, Shri J P Nadda stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.

The Centre, has been learnt mulling plans to implement the recommendations soon to reduce the sale of cigarettes and also to regulate the sale of tobacco among masses, especially young generation, who gets easily addicted to smoking and other tobacco-related products.

Earlier also the Centre has been very stringent on the sale of tobacco and tobacco products.

Earlier, former Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan asked cigarette manufacturing companies asking them to devote at least 85 percent of the surface areas of cigarette packets on both sides to graphically and literally represent the statutory warning. The Centre issued a notification in this regard.

Harsh Vardhan also favoured for a complete ban on e-cigarettes and all products.

Union Finance Ministry also increased the excise duty on cigarettes to 22% from 11%.

According to statistics, Indians smoked more than 100 billion cigarettes in 2012.

The total economic costs attributable to tobacco use from all diseases in India for people in the 35-69 age group was more than Rs 1.4 lakh crore in 2011 of which 16 percent was direct and 84 percent indirect cost.

The cost of premature mortality was highest in the 40-44 age group for both men and women.