There is no argument from us that the consumption of tobacco products, be it cigarettes, chewing tobacco or, even, snuff, should be heavily regulated, and all possible efforts should be made to cut down on the public's use of the noxious weed. There must be, however, a sensible approach to such regulation, and the recent sentencing of a man in Bhutan for three years for smuggling $2.50 worth of chewing tobacco from India into Bhutan strikes one as more than a bit too stringent. A new law that went into effect in January forbids the sale or smuggling of tobacco into Bhutan, and hands out jail sentences of up to three years to anyone caught smoking in a “restricted area,” such as a bank. There is no chance of being granted bail in either instance. Residents and tourists over the age of 18 are permitted to buy cigarettes outside Bhutan, but anyone bringing tobacco into the country must pay a 100-200 percent duty. Amounts are limited to 200 cigarettes, 30 cigars, or 150 grams of chewing tobacco. The accompanying import receipt, issued at the airport or at the border check post upon declaration, is valid only for a month, and must be kept at all times if a person wants to smoke in public. Tobacco has long been part of global culture. Ever since Europeans immigrating to the Americas discovered why the native Indians were so enamored of the stuff, smoking and chewing tobacco has been a much-loved habit in just about every country. Only in the past 50 or 60 years have the profoundly detrimental effects of the dried leaves become known. The tobacco industry, now a billions-of-dollars a year industry, has fought tooth-and-nail to keep their business alive, even as governments everywhere crack down on smokers. It seems disingenuous, however, for governments to believe that draconian laws are the only tool in their kits to improve their populations' health. Of course, fines should be levied and penalties imposed when anti-tobacco laws are broken. Nevertheless, a three-year sentence for a relatively small amount of tobacco strikes one as a bit extreme. __
