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E-mailAnti smoking campaigns are a big hit. If you want publicity in your area, you can start a campaign against smoking. Even the Indian Health Minister will support your cause. I was reading an article, which asks the implementation of strict ban on tobacco products. But is this necessary?
Ever wondered about the results? You say that smoking is bad. Tobacco products are harmful. I don’t think so. Take a look at this:
Agriculture: A considerable portion of Indian agriculture is tobacco farming. India is the third largest producer of tobacco in the world. More than INR 20 billion comes annually through tobacco farming. Roughly, 27 million people are involved in its production. Other crops, which can be grown in such areas, provide very nominal returns as compared to tobacco. Would you like to remove this base of Indian Agriculture, which is the support for several landless farmers? Is this fair?
Exports: The world needs tobacco, which is imported from Indian market. Tobacco export from India has grown phenomenally in the last few years. Annual tobacco exports from India are valued at 930 crores, which is almost 5 per cent of total agricultural exports. We can’t play games with the Indian export industry, can we?
Tobacco stores: Almost every road in India, be it metros or small rural village, has one or more pan shops. Many people are involved in selling tobacco products for their daily bread. I was unable to determine the annual returns earned by the government, but am sure that it is very high. Consider each neighborhood having successfully-running tobacco stores!
Employment: More than 40 lakh people are employed in units that create tobacco products. This is one of the lines where you do not need costly education to earn. We are already fighting unemployment. Why would we want to add more unemployed people to our country?
Corporate Tax: Would you believe that banning tobacco would result in an annual loss of more than INR 2 billion, which is earned by the central government by way of corporate tax?
Last but not the least, Healthcare Indusry: Tobacco is of the leading causes of death. One in ten, of the adults in this world, dies because of tobacco related disease. On an estimate, by 2020, more than 650 people will die annually because of tobacco. The amount earned by the healthcare industry in India, due to tobacco related diseases is more than USD 8 billion, which alone is much higher than the total revenue generated by tobacco in the above mentioned sectors! Can we afford this loss?
RSS 
Please go through the last paragraph. The earnings of healthcare indutry, which is the money spent by people for the treatment on tobacco diseases, are much higher than the total benefits listed herein. Do you think we can afford human life-loss at this cost? As regards unemployment and earning oppurtunities, there are several ways. On the other hand, there are very limited methods to regain lost health.
Not that it is impossible. Like one finds another job before quitting the current one, the country can look for other sources of revenue. Once done, it can ban tobacco. However, the element of greed should not be allowed!
In your example, one is quitting a company and not changing his profession. A weaver cannot become a farmer easily. And a fashion designer will find it extremely difficult to become a scientist. You are talking about snatching the livelihood of a million people and promising them a change of profession. I know ’impossible’ is an overstatement, but I’m sure it would take more than a hundred years for the change you’re proposing.
Anyway, getting serious - Ban it, it's possible. Believe me, there will be no revenue loss. The unnecessary amount of money spend on health will be saved. The stall spaces can be used to sell other products. All will thrive. There will be no prob at all. All issues are inflated here. The truth is, government doesn't want it to implement as it's filling up the coffers of the politicians.
@Ahmed
Saying there will be no revenue lost is really pushing it. To come even close to that solution the government would have step in and for years dictate what and where people will work. And that would be highly unlikely, at least in the US. I know for one that theres enough people out there that even if there was a ban they would still continue to make tobacco products and sell it for a major profit since no one else is selling. People will grow it in their basements, backyards, fields. I don’t think it can be fully stopped. But if the smokers see the light and try to stop, and we all know it’s hard, then that’s one step closer to a better society. But you are right about the politicians. They are making a boat load on this stuff it’s a sin. So much corruption these days.
@Arun Kumar
What are you saying?
”The earnings of healthcare indutry, which is the money spent by people for the treatment on tobacco diseases, are much higher than the total benefits listed herein. Do you think we can afford human life-loss at this cost?”
It sounds like you are contradicting yourself. Besides I would much rather save a life then a $20 bill. Not forgetting all the ones they smoke around regularly. It’s proven that those emissions are more harmful than what the smoker is getting. Over 35,000 people get Heart Disease each year by secondhand smoke. Then babies with women who smoke are 1.4 to 3.0 times more likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. That’s something that needs to stop. One way we’ve been able to combat it is to ban places where smokers can smoke, like diners.
Anymore ideas besides cold-turkey?
I for one don’t like to be around smokers. My whole family smokes and it’s terrible and they know to not smoke around me which makes it a little more bearable.