[Intl-tobacco] Bhutan Bans Tobacco Sales, Public Smoking

[robert weissman]

Bhutan Bans Tobacco Sales, Public Smoking

The Associated Press
Tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan Is World's First Country to Ban Tobacco
Sales, Public Smoking
November 28, 2004.

Bhutan's parliament has passed a resolution to ban tobacco sales across the
country and the royal government has framed a set of rules to bring the
prohibition into effect beginning Dec. 17.

GAUHATI, India Nov 29, 2004 =97 The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has go=
ne
to extremes to protect its pristine environment, its ancient culture and th=
e
well being of its citizens. The country's forests are strictly conserved.
Television was banned until a few years ago. And only a few thousand
tourists are allowed in each year.

Next month, this idiosyncratic Buddhist nation of 700,000, nicknamed
Shangri-La, will become the first country in the world to ban all smoking i=
n
public and all sales of tobacco.

The royal National Assembly passed a resolution in July to bring about a
total ban on tobacco sales across the country and the government has decide=
d
to enforce the ban beginning Dec. 17, Lily Wangchuk, a Bhutanese Embassy
spokeswoman in New Delhi, told The Associated Press by telephone.

It will be illegal to buy tobacco, sell it or smoke anywhere in public. The
fine for breaking the rules: $225 an enormous sum in an impoverished nation=
.
The World Health Organization's Web site says Bhutan is the first country i=
n
the world to enact such legislation.

Individuals will be allowed to bring tobacco into the country for personal
consumption, but only after paying 100 percent tax on the cost price. They
can smoke it only at home.

But if the new law sounds draconian, it apparently won't affect many. Kinle=
y
Dorji, editor of Bhutan's Kuensel newspaper, said only about 1 percent of
the population is thought to smoke. "The decision to ban tobacco sales may
not have any great impact," he said.

Still, plenty of people are upset about it.

"I wish there was a ban on alcohol, which is a more serious problem in
Bhutan. Smoking, after all, is a personal habit, and a ban will be difficul=
t
to enforce," said a trader who identified himself only as Sonam, speaking b=
y
telephone from the town of Samdrup Jhongkar near the Indian border.

Some worry the ban will simply increase smuggling.

Few places are as singular as Bhutan, tucked into the mountains between
India and China. There are no political parties, few newspapers and hunting
is almost unheard of in the pacifistic monarchy. The country is so resistan=
t
to the outside world that it rarely let in a foreigner until recently. Even
now only about 6,000 tourists a year are allowed in and only on carefully
supervised tours to protect the environment and ancient culture.

King Jigme Singye Wangchuk has shepherded the poor but beautiful country
gradually toward modernization, cherry picking what he wants from the moder=
n
world. He has famously proclaimed "gross national happiness" more important
than gross national product.

The environment in Bhutan is fiercely protected. It has some of the
strictest rules in the world to protect some of the planet's last great
remaining forests. The national assembly declared in 1995 that 60 per cent
of the country must be forested, including 26 per cent that is set aside as
protected areas.

The Himalayan nation boasts some of the world's most beautiful mountains bu=
t
climbing is not allowed in order to preserve the forests that cover most of
the country.

Such policies earned the country the nickname Shangri-La, the name of the
Himalayan utopia invented by James Hilton in his classic 1933 novel "Lost
Horizon."

No matter what, change is slowly coming to Bhutan.

In recent years, the king has devolved more powers to his ministers and
plans to bring a new Constitution that will place more authority in the
hands of people's representatives.

People are increasingly staying up late to watch TV, first introduced only
in 1999. And they are "mimicking" fashion, art, and behavior they see on TV=
,
said a February report from the Bhutanese Ministry of Information and
Communication.