Ban on loose sale of cigarette and beedi, must be sold only in packs

Cigarette and beedi cannot be sold loose hence forth only packs with statutory warning to be sold.  The State Government has passed an order stating that cigarettes and beedis must be sold only in packs. This step taken to make the consumers see the statuary warning compulsorily and give up using tobacco products. Violating this rule will attract stringent action.

Cigarette and beedi can be sold only in packs, stated an order issued by the State government, reported Kannada Prabha.

Consumers of tobacco products are on the rise in the State. The Cigarette and Tobacco Products Act is not effectively implemented. Responding to this, the State government has passed an order stating that cigarettes and beedis must be sold only in packs.

The Health and Family Welfare Department has stated in an order that cigarettes and beedis can only be sold in packs at all outlets. Violating this rule will attract stringent action.

According to the Cigarette and Tobacco products (Advertisements, ban and sales, commercial production, supply and distribution) Act, as per section 7 and 8, pictures propagating the bad effects of tobacco has to cover 80 per cent of the packing as statuary warning. Since most of the consumers purchase loose cigarettes and beedis, they do not get to see the statuary warning on the pack. Hence the government has taken the step to make the consumers see the statuary warning compulsorily and give up using tobacco products.

Moreover the number of students and young adults using tobacco products is increasing at an alarming rate. Since it is expensive for them to purchase a whole pack they may quit the habit hopes Health Department. The new rule may render the traders a small loss but it could also act in the negative and make people whole pack and benefit the traders. The department aims at stopping the habit causing health hazards and hopes that traders implement it strictly.