Call for ban on 75 percent of cigarette sales in India

Researchers at the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease have called on the government of India to ban the sale of single cigarettes, according to an Indo-Asian News Service story relayed by the TMA.

A study conducted by the researchers found that sales of single cigarettes accounted for almost 75 percent of total cigarette volume sales in India and for about 30 percent of the value of those total sales, Rs350 billion (US$5.3 billion).

The researchers recommended that the government ban the sale of single cigarettes, saying that such sales undermined graphic health warnings and taxation, and made the products more accessible and affordable to minors.

The sale of loose cigarettes was said to be an important factor for early experimentation, initiation and persistence of tobacco use.

Study researcher Ravinder Kumar, who is a consultant with the World Health Organization’s tuberculosis program, described the sale of loose cigarettes as a “win-win” game for the tobacco industry.

The study, which was published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, estimated the sale of cigarettes in packs and sticks, and by brands and price over a full business day in the Indian cities of Agartala, Baroda, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Indore, Jaipur, Jorhat, Patna and Shimla.