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February 09, 2021 by businessinsider.in

The Centre informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that there was no proposal to raise the excise duty on cigarettes, 'bidis' and smokeless tobacco.

In a written reply to a question, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur said that there was no recommendation by the GST Council to raise the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on these tobacco products.

"The GST rates on goods are fixed on the basis of GST Council recommendations. At present, there is no such recommendation. Also, there is no proposal to increase the excise duty on such products," Thakur said.

February 04, 2021 by indicanews.com

New research indicates the chemicals found in e-cigarettes disrupt the gut barrier and trigger inflammation in the body, potentially leading to a variety of health concerns.

Touted by makers as a “healthy” alternative to traditional cigarettes, these e-cigarettes have been all the rage with the younger generation.

However, according to the researchers, including two Indian-origin, chemicals used for vaping break down zipper-like junctions between cells in the gut, leading to chronic inflammation and potential for other health concerns.

January 26, 2021 by filtermag.org

I remember fumbling with the lighter so much that a friend had to light my first smoke for me. [...] Ten years on, here I am, chain-smoking my way through my morning coffee. I currently get through a pack a day.

In all this time, the only thing that has ever stopped me from lighting up, often for months on end, has been my vape. It led me to believe that I had a chance of beating my addiction, and giving my lungs the best chance of recovery in the process. And then, the Indian government banned vapes, and my dreams of being tobacco-free went up in smoke.

January 11, 2021 by thehindu.com

The State government has proposed to make it mandatory for shops in urban areas to obtain licences for selling cigarettes and other tobacco products.

The draft bylaws of Karnataka Municipalities (Regulation and inspection of places used for sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products) seek to prohibit sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products without obtaining licenses from the jurisdictional municipal corporations. The provisions of these rules shall apply to all the municipal corporations, including Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

December 16, 2020 by indiatimes.com

The UT administration on Monday extended the ban on hookah bars till February 11, 2021, with deputy commissioner Mandip Brar issuing the orders under Section 144 of CrPC to control the spread of novel coronavirus. [...] The DC ordered no hookah would be served for smoke/consumption in hotels, restaurants, taverns, bars and bars. The order would come into force from December 14. Any person violating this order shall be punished under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

November 27, 2020 by theswaddle.com

“Glaring gaps” in India’s tobacco control legislation make it “ineffective for regulating tobacco consumption and exposure to second-hand smoke,” argues a new report.

The concern is not new. “Compared with many countries around the world, India has been proactive in introducing tobacco control legislation since 2003…. However, the legislation currently in place is not delivering the desired results — in terms of dissuading tobacco use and encouraging quitting,” Geoffrey Fong, a professor of psychology [...] told Reuters. Fong is the co-author of a 2015 report drawing urgent attention to India’s “tobacco epidemic.”

November 26, 2020 by filtermag.org

As I wait to interview respiratory physicians in a high-end private medical clinic in Chennai, a sprawling metropolis in the state of Tamil Nadu, southern India, I look around the outpatient setting and see few women clients.

After professional introductions, the women clinicians ask me what has become a standard question in my visits, as a public health researcher, to five private medical institutions in the city during the past four months.

“Why are you interested in doing this research?” [...]

November 25, 2020 by theprint.in

New Delhi: There are “glaring gaps” in the laws governing tobacco consumption, including the rampant sale of single stick cigarettes, says a report by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) released Wednesday.

The 50-page report, which was submitted to the Ministry of Health, calls for an amendment in the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA), 2003, and proposes several recommendations.

November 20, 2020 by thehindu.com

The poor demand for tobacco across auction platforms in the State may have led the Opposition Congress to make an appeal for immediate government intervention, but experts in the tobacco industry are hopeful of a turnaround in the demand for the commodity in the coming months.

More than a month after auctions started in Karnataka, the demand for tobacco has remained muted, raising concern among the farmers who are wary of COVID-19 dashing their hopes of making a decent earning.

November 02, 2020 by digitaljournal.com

According to Samrat Chowdhery the impact of ban of e-cigarettes in India has been counter productive. With country already facing the healthcare burden the ban on harm reduction alternative has further deteriorated the situation. He explains why.
In 2019, India banned e-cigarettes. This was in the form executive order prohibits selling, producing, importing, or advertising e-cigarettes. With e-cigarettes there are advocates and detractors. Looking at things from the advocacy side is Samrat Chowdhery, who is the President of INNCO (International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations).