Tobacco benefits

I have seen some terrifying pictures on cigarette packs and zarda packets. Is Govt.of India really serious about our health?

When I opened Tobacco Board site I was astonished  to find the following.

“Tobacco and tobacco products earn approx Rs.20,000 Cr. to the national exchequer by way of excise duty, and approx.Rs.5000 Cr. by way of foreign exchange every year”. This is what tobacco board site mentions on their site.

 Vision

"Tobacco Board is committed to accomplishing its role - the expressed will of parliament - for the smooth functioning of a vibrant farming system, fair and remunerative prices to tobacco growers and export promotion."
 

If the Govt. is really serious about our health, tobacco cultivation should be banned just as ganja cultivation is banned. Not possible?  Then why such terrifying advertisements and pictures on packets of cigarettes and zarda.

Sauchalaya pe charcha

In a small open space of village house Vidyaji is sitting on a charpai and woman of the house on her door step. Suddenly a young girl comes from inside and gestures to her mother about her nature’s call and starts moving out of the house.

 Vidya: what is wrong?

 Woman: she is going for easing.

 Vidya: what? In the open?

 Woman:yes.

Vidya: takes out a strip of tablets and tries to give it to the woman saying, your daughter will go and ease in the open. Flies will sit on that and the same flies will come and sit on your food. So your daughter will get sick. Thereafter she has to take tablets.

Woman: I never thought of that. Madamji what is the remedy.

Vidya: build a sauchalaya in the house.

Woman : we have a very small open space.

Vidya: Sauchalaya will take very little space. May be 3 feet by three feet.

Woman: then it is OK. How much cost?

Vidya: bans ki tatti ki deewaren. Chat ki jaroorat na.

 Woman: but that pot like thing and a small tank with a chain. How much will they cost.

Vidya: some Rs. 5000/- only

Woman: he prabhu! Ye very costly. We will manage.

Vidya:Very good.

Woman: we have water scarecity.

Vidya: no worry, every village will have many wells.

Woman: Vidyaji on the roads dogs, cats and monkeys ease, flies do not sit there?

Vidya: Bahenji animal defecation is not harmful.

 Woman: when we ease in our sauchalaya where will the dirt go? There is a house next to ours’.

 Vidya: tank has to be constructed under ground.

 Woman: how much will it cost?

Vidya: I also do not know. I will consult and come back

Contradiction

There are many anti tobacco advertisements by government on TV and in print media.

Advertisements are terrifying, showing visuals of tongue, throat and jaw cancer  patients.

Why the government does not ban tobacco cultivation  just as ‘ganja’ cultivation is banned?

No, they cannot afford to do that.

“The total revenue collected from central excise duty during the financial year 2011-12 (upto January, 2012) is about Rs. 1,14,046 Crore (provisional).

The total excise duty collected from tobacco products during the financial year 2011-12 (upto January, 2012) is about Rs. 14,804 Crore (provisional).”

This information is from Ministry of Finance27-March, 2012 18:13 IST

One can check from the following link.

 http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=81803

“TOBACCO – India earned a foreign exchange of Rs.2,022.78 crore and Rs.10,271.55 crore as excise revenue in the year 2007- 2008. The exports of tobacco and tobacco products during 2007- 2008 were valued at Rs.2022.78 crore. During April-October 2008, exports of tobacco and tobacco products were valued at Rs.1952.43 crore. During April-October 2008, unmanufactured tobacco exports were valued at Rs.1623.10 crore and exports of tobacco products were valued at Rs.329.33 crore. Going by the current trend exports of tobacco and tobacco products are expected to cross US $ 600 million during 2008- 2009”.

One can check from the following link.

 http://commerce.nic.in/pressrelease/pressrelease_detail.asp?id=2356

Why is the government spending on advertisements?

 LATEST

May 21 2014 : The Times of India (Hyderabad)

Tobacco exports touch new high in 2013-14

Guntur TIMES NEWS NETWORK

In a stunning performance, tobacco exports from the country touched a new record in the 2013-14 financial year. Tobacco exports surpassed all previous records particularly at a time when the country's economy was going through a downturn. For the first time, tobacco exports including flue-cured Virginia (FCV) and non-FCV products reached a peak by crossing Rs 6,000-crore mark in a financial year.