New Delhi, 15 June (IANS). Just 15 years ago, Bhutan, taking a historic step, declared himself the first country in the world on 15 June 2010, which imposed a complete ban on tobacco. Although Bhutan imposed a partial ban on the sale of tobacco in 2004 itself, the new “tobacco control act” passed in 2010 brought it to a new level, including a widespread ban on tobacco cultivation, production, distribution and sale.
This decision of Bhutan was not suddenly, but it was the result of efforts going on for more than a decade. The National Assembly of Bhutan decided to ban any type of tobacco sale across the country on 17 December 2004, making it the first nation in the world to take such a step.
Subsequently, smoking was also banned in public places by February 2005.
The ban on tobacco in Bhutan was not just inspired by public health concern, but also its deep roots in Buddhism, where tobacco is considered a “sin”. Thus, this ban was a symbol of health benefits as well as religious-cultural commitment. In 2004, the World Health Organization confirmed the ‘Smoking Control Framework Convention of the United Nations’ by Bhutan further strengthened the policy, establishing its relevance at the international level as well.
After the sale ban in December 2004, from 2005 to 2010, Bhutan gradually strengthened its rules. The law not only prohibited tobacco cultivation, production, distribution and sale, but also included the provision of the government to quit tobacco, which reflects the prevalence of this initiative.
However, some unexpected results of this strict ban also came out. Smuggling increased rapidly, especially a black market of demand for tobacco from India developed. In 2010, the government made a provision of strict fine and punishment, including a prison sentence up to a few years, but despite this the impact of the ban and its controversies continued.
Various legal amendments took place in 2012 after some protests. The limit of the volume of tobacco brought for individual consumption was fixed, and comparatively the punishment was lightened, which reflects some flexibility towards public sentiments from the government.
The smuggling was temporarily affected due to the seal of the Kovid-19 lockdown and the Indo-Bhutan border in 2020. During this crisis, the government limited tobacco sales in local state-owned duty-free outlets to reduce smuggling and reduce the possibility of infection. However, this restoration was stated to be “temporary” and ban on tobacco cultivation, production and comprehensive distribution continued.
This journey of Bhutan’s complete ban on tobacco has been an ambitious, but challenging initiative, which serves as a case study for other countries of the world. While Bhutan has given priority to health and religious-cultural values, balanced the social and economic influences of this policy has also been a continuous challenge.
-IANS
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