Maharashtra Bans Sale of Loose Cigarettes
Maharashtra becomes the first state in India to ban the sale of “loose” cigarettes and beedis.
On Thursday 24th September 2020 a notification was issued by the Maharashtra State Public Health Department. The order said that the state has issued a complete ban on the sale of loose cigarettes and beedis. Maharashtra is the first state to issue such an order in India. This decision was made because loose cigarettes are sold without a packet. The packet is important because it has graphic health warnings to make the public aware of the harms of smoking. Smoking causes dangerous diseases like cancers and heart disease. Tata Memorial Hospital’s cancer surgeon Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi said that the new order would help cut down the habit in youth. “Lots of 16 – 17-year-old youth use Tobacco. They buy loose cigarettes as they don’t have the financial resources to buy a full packet.
The effectiveness of the ban will depend on how strictly the rules are implemented. As per the Global Tobacco Youth Survey 2016, Maharashtra has the lowest smoking rate in the country.
