Does Anbumani ramadoss have guts?
Anbumani Ramadoss, our honorable health minister wants everyone not to smoke. He advises that, cigarettes are bad to our health. His father Ramadoss goes one step further and says, he will ban liquor from Tamil Nadu if his party comes to power. Both Anbumani and Ramadoss send memos to actors who are smoking. Here are their claims
- Smoking is injurious to health
- Young people get influenced by actors and getting addicted to smoking.
- If we ban people from smoking in public places, non smokers will not get affected.
With these claims, Anbumani Ramadoss brought a law which will ban people from smoking in public places. They enacted the law from October 2nd. The law says even people cannot smoke in a place which is designated for smoking. In the press conference he said
"As per the revised Rules, smoking is banned in shopping malls, cinema halls, public/private work place, hotels, banquet halls, discotheques, canteen, coffee house, pubs, bars, airport lounge, and railway stations. People can smoke on roads or in their homes but not in any other place the impact is more while smoking inside closed environment than in roads or streets."
Immediately lot of dailies claimed they conducted survey and found that lot of smokers are welcoming this because this will stop them from smoking. But will it really stop people from smoking? I don't think so, because this will make people to smoke on roads and bus stops where lot of people will be there nearby.
People who go for a smoking area or a pub know that, they will be surrounded by the cigarette smoke and it is injurious to health. Now Mr. Anbumani Ramadoss opened them to public where lot of non smokers will be affected. If Anbumani Ramadoss say cigarette is injurious for health and wants people to stop smoking, why can't he do the below things.
Ban manufacturing cigarette
Government can always ban something which is harmful to its citizens. If Anbumani Ramadoss believes cigarette as harmful for the youth of this country, why can't he ban the manufacturing of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Why is he not doing it? Is it because he doesn't want to lose the revenue or is it because he doesn't dare to touch those cigarette manufacturing companies.
Levy huge Taxes
Government can always tax any product on its interest. If the government thinks that cigarette is harmful, it can stop people from purchasing by raising the taxes. Anbumani Ramadoss can recommend finance ministry to levy high taxes which can range from 200% to 1000%. This will result in a steep rise in price of a cigarette pack. When the price is high, people will go for lower alternatives. This method is practiced in New Jersey where a pack of cigarette is costing USD 6.45 and in England where a pack of cigarette is costing around USD 8.50 to USD 11.
Promote alternatives for cigarette
There are lot of alternatives for cigarette like smokeless tobacco, FAUX Cigarette, e- cigarette and lot more which will be harmless and will provide good results in quit smoking campaign. Why can't Mr. Anbumani Ramadoss try this? Why can't the government subsidize these alternatives which can help people to quit smoking? When people get these alternatives, and the cigarette price is high, people start using alternatives and will quit smoking. With huge revenue from the taxes levied on cigarettes, government can use them to subsidize the alternatives. Why Anbumani Ramadoss is not directing finance ministry to do that?
My simple question to Anbumani Ramadoss is, Do you have guts to ban manufacturing cigarettes?.
