Former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss Seeks UK-Like Cigarette Ban For Those Born After 2009, Write To PM Modi

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Former Union Health Minister and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday called on Narendra Modi to enact legislation banning smoking and the sale of cigarettes to those born on or after January 1, 2009, with the aim of creating a smoke-free generation.

Both houses of Parliament of the United Kingdom passed a bill in April that would permanently bar individuals currently aged 17 and younger from ever purchasing cigarettes. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill seeks to prevent anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, now aged 17, from starting to smoke.

What did Anbumani say in the letter to PM Modi?

"Once implemented, it (ban on cigarettes ) will ensure that future generations are legally prevented from ever accessing tobacco products", Anbumani stated in a letter to PM Modi

He stated, "I write to you with a deep sense of urgency and responsibility, drawing your kind attention to a critical public health issue that continues to endanger the lives of millions of Indians, particularly among the younger generation who are affected by cigarette smoking.”

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Anbumani Ramadoss, during his tenure as Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare in the United Progressive Alliance government headed by Manmohan Singh from 2004 to 2009, had introduced a nationwide ban on smoking in public places. His party, the Pattali Makkal Katchi, has consistently taken a strong stand against cigarettes and other tobacco products.

He further highlighted that India faces a significantly high burden of tobacco-related diseases and deaths, noting that global health data suggests around 267 million people in the country, roughly one in five citizens, consume tobacco.

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"Each year, tobacco consumption directly accounts for over 1.35 million deaths, while exposure to second-hand smoke contributes to a total of approximately 2.3 million deaths annually", he stated, noting, "these figures are alarming and reflect a public health crisis of immense magnitude".

He said that scientific evidence clearly shows tobacco use to be a major cause of cancer and several non-communicable diseases, including heart conditions, chronic respiratory illnesses such as COPD, and various forms of malignancies.

He urged the Union government to consider introducing a transformative law on the lines of the United Kingdom that would permanently ban the sale and use of tobacco products for individuals born on or after a specified year, such as 2009, adding that such a generational prohibition would be a significant step toward gradually eliminating tobacco use in India.

UK's ban on cigarette sales for those born after 2009

Health Minister Wes Streeting described the move as a "historic moment for the nation's health" that will create the "first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm". Once it receives royal assent and becomes law, the legislation will empower the government to expand indoor smoking restrictions to certain outdoor areas, including children's playgrounds and spaces outside schools and hospitals.

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It will also grant authorities new powers to regulate vape flavours and packaging, as well as prohibit vaping in places where smoking is already banned.

The bill forms part of a broader effort to strengthen preventive healthcare and reduce long-term strain on the UK's publicly funded National Health Service.

Hazel Cheeseman, director of the public health charity Action on Smoking and Health, told LBC radio that the bill represents a "decisive turning point for public health".

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