What will happen to the Indian Economy if Cigarettes are Banned?

India is the third largest producer of tobacco in the country and the largest exporter of the same. The industry is booming and flourishing despite setbacks such as the ban of smoking in public.

The Government tries to make people more aware of especially those advertisements that they show which have horrifying images displayed that are deliberately shown to make people give up their habits of smoking.

And yet, people are still smoking as much as they can to their heart’s delight.

 

 

Cigarette smoking, though banned in public, is not something adhered to by people all the time. Putting up signs in public places has made it easier for those who do not smoke to nudge people and tell them not to do so in that location as well.

The cigarette boxes to come with graphic images and advertisements are banned. Even after these measures, there are 13,000 Indian men and 4,000 women dying every week due to chronic tobacco usage, making it an issue of public emergency.

 

 

 

It is true that the problem has barely been got under control and that is insignificant, but nevertheless, when smoking in public was banned in 2008, the tobacco industry hit a little bit of a setback.

The ban of cigarettes completely would close down one of the major exporter industries in our country and inevitably cause losses in the Indian economy.

 

 

 

267 million people are tobacco consumers. 800 million kgs of tobacco produced in the country. 0.24% of the country’s land is used for this purpose.

To ban tobacco would affect the livelihood of a substantial number of farmers, workers and industrialists. A major share of the economy would crumble. 

 

 

However, for once India needs to accept this economic downfall for a healthier future of the country.

 

We know that whenever something is banned it can be illegally obtained but even then its access to common man diminishes to near zero availability. It is the risk the country can take, a ban that would probably drive millions crazy with their excessive urge to smoke but they would get through it.

If so many states in India can get over the restrictions and bans on alcohol, the Indian population is strong enough to get through another such major blow.