The little Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has banned smoking. Some wonder whether that will set off a trend. If it does, expect cigarette smuggling to skyrocket, tobacco-traficantes to tear Latin American countries apart, and cig-gangs to battle it out with automatic weapons for control of turf.
As Bhutan is rather close to India, I predict a very Indian scenario.
Bhutanese who wish to smoke will. The only new thing will be an arbitrary tax they will have to pay. Most people call that tax a “bribe.”
“Bhutan’s parliament, which passed the smoking ban, anticipated complaints. It added a few sizable loopholes. Foreigners can still smoke and import tobacco (but if caught selling it to Bhutanese they will be charged with smuggling). Bhutanese are, technically, allowed to smoke in their homes and can even import small quantities of tobacco for “personal use,” though they’ll pay as much as 200 percent in customs duties and sales taxes for the pleasure.”
Note the comment, “as much as 200 percent” in duties and taxes. I can only dream that I paid as little as that here in Ontario, Canada. As a student with very little income, I find myself paying around $2000 in cigarrette taxes per year.