- That human beings are paradoxical at the best of times needs no further elaboration. Also, what is known about us is that we are hypocritical, contradicting most of the time on matters of relevance and importance in great measure. Fascinating as it might sound in comprehending the multilayers of human behaviour, what is not so difficult is the ironic aspects associated with our beliefs and practices that often come to the fore. Delving deeper into some of the most common aspects of human endeavour also reveals how deeply contradictory our practices could be. Take, for instance, how we treat tobacco consumption as one of the many vices affecting our daily existence. We are aware of how tobacco consumption affects our health in a big way.
PC: Paratus
- So is the case with alcohol consumption. The government agencies simply cannot afford to ban these two substances, even with the scientific evidence of doing extreme harm to health, just like that. Why so? Simply because the revenue generated by the two supposed vices is enormous, especially from excise collection. Though restrictions are in place, the enforcement of the measures spelled out as policy matters is often lax in the Indian scenario. Cigarette consumption in public is disallowed. Does anybody seriously give credence to the policy, though? None whatsoever. Smokers simply smoke with gay abandon, leaving the policy and the inherent health aspects being propagated in the air. Are we lacking intent in implementing the strictures? You bet.
PC: The Conversation
- Why is it only India, even the United Kingdom, resolving to end tobacco use is good. But the new law to do so is an example of bad logic. James-I would have approved. The British monarch was a staunch opponent of tobacco, so much so that he wrote how smoking was a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs. Indeed. So, when Charles-III signs the UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill, James’ 400-year-old dream of tobacco-free Britain will be a step closer to realization. That’s laudable. WHO estimates tobacco kills 70L people each year, 13L in India alone. In Britain, 10% of the adult population smokes, resulting in 64,000 deaths a year. The numbers are compelling.
PC: The Times of India
- And considering that 75% of British smokers wish they’d never started, the case for state intervention is stronger. But that’s where the UK law gets puzzling. It aims to create a tobacco-free generation by banning sales to anyone born after Jan 1, 2009. Soon, there will be two kinds of adults in the UK: those who can smoke, and those who can’t. This raises larger questions about adulthood and choice. What if a future law says people born after a random cutoff date may not use cash, or drive, or vote for a certain party, or convert to another faith? The other problem with the UK law is that it’s too slow. The country’s life expectancy for women, who outlive men, is 83 years. If it doesn’t rise, 2092 is the earliest that Britain might be tobacco-free. High taxes and strict advertising rules can break the habit faster, though. Isn’t it?
