Mumbai Mania

How strange is it, I allow a corporation to sell you something that kills you because I make a lot of money on the taxes on the product.

I also tax you when you buy the very same product. Basically when one cigarette is sold the Government makes a sum that is more than half the cost of the cigarette. But from today onwards not only will you be taxed but you will also be fined if you are smoking in a public place.

Its not that I oppose this call for banning cigarette smoke, I think its wonderful but the irony of the situation makes me want to laugh.

From today onwards, hotels, restaurants, pubs, offices, airports, hookah bars and public places like bus stops is out of bounds for you to light up your nicotine stick.

But if your live in Maharashtra theres nothing to fear at the moment, except of course if the cops want to make a fast buck they still will, the BMC blew up the Health Ministers hopes of a smoke free Maharashtra.

The funny part is that the Beedis, Gutkha and other tobacco products apart from Cigarettes sum up to 86% of the consumption of Tobacco in India, cigarettes account for the remaining 14%. Will a ban on cigarettes push up the overall health of the country? With these statistics, not really.

But its sure is going to improve the salary of most government officials, if you take a look at the number of people who can fine you, looks like the only thing that's going to happen is a lot more government officials can exercise corruption.