Discourage smoking the British way – remove cigarette packets from shelves

#cigarettes #cancer #beedibaron #BJP #health It is a fact that cigarette smoking is injurious to health and the Indian government wants to curb the menace by increase the size of pictorial warnings on tobacco packets from 40% to 85% of the main display area. Moreover, in order to discourage smoking, the BJP government has taken several taxation measures in the last two budgets.
Of course, within the BJP, there appears to be a difference of opinion. BJP MPs Shyam Charan Gupta, a beedi baron, and Dilip Gandhi, along with Ram Prasad Sarmah have raised a controversy by saying that there was no Indian scientific evidence to link smoking and cancer. Dilip Gandhi is head of the parliamentary committee, and Shyam Charan Gupta is a member on it. This has, naturally, embarrassed the NDA government.

This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 6 April 2015.
However, in Britain they have taken a much harder stance to discourage smoking and wean away the would-be smokers. They have decreed that there can be no display of cigarettes on shelves. They must be kept out of sight, preferably in cupboards. And, the only method of advertising would be to have a board saying ‘cigarettes sold here’ along with a list of brands available and their prices.
It seems two thirds of smokers begin from or before the age of 18 – hence, it is vital that everything is done to put tobacco out of sight to protect future generations. Catalogues of available brands may be shown only to customers over the age of 18.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 6 April 2015.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


Teenage girl of Brighton sat on a needle in a bus and is now getting her blood tested for HIV

Stray dogs attend funeral of Mexican woman who fed them

Nationwide ban on cow slaughter on the cards says Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh

Health tips – lose weight without dieting

Auckland girl sweet talks thief to return stolen mobile phone

Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart