Shimla: In a bid to check the consumption of tobacco by youngsters, the Himachal government is making every possible effort to regulate the sale of tobacco products. The government has already made clear to ban the sale of loose cigarettes & beedis, and now further decided to make the registration of retailers of tobacco products mandatory in the state.
The state cabinet, in its meeting presided by the Chief Minister today, accorded necessary approval to make mandatory the registration of retailers of tobacco products.
Retailers had already objected the government’s move, and even staged protest in the state, fearing harassment from registration authority and would also open the door for officials to extract money from them. Retailers fearing that enforcing the licensing system which would hurt their business interest.
Lawmakers believe that tobacco products are easily available in the market and thus exposing youngsters to them, and with mandatory registration of sellers and check on sale of loose cigarette and other smoking tobacco products, it’ll to some extend help authority to keep youngsters at bay from tobacco products.
Himachal Pradesh government, earlier in July 2012, had made the storage, sale or distribution of Tobacco products including Gutka, Pan Masala, Masheri, Khaini, illegal, besides banning smoking at the public places in the State.
