Sale of loose cigarettes likely to be banned: Minister Nadda

Hyderabad, Nov 25: The central government has accepted the recommendations of an expert committee that proposed banning the sale of loose cigarettes in addition to other tough measures, Union Health Minister JP Nadda is reported to have submitted in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Nanda is also said to have stated that the panel's recommendations will be put before the Cabinet for approval. Later, he is reported to have said that the recommendations would be tabled in the Parliament for its nod before they are implemented. Soon after this statement, shares of tobacco companies tumbled on Tuesday. The minister said that the expert panel had recommended ban on sale of loose or single stick of cigarette, increasing the minimum legal age for sale of tobacco products, increasing the fine or penalty amounts for violation of certain provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003. The latest regulations, if implemented, will have severe impact on the tobacco industry, according to analysts. Indians smoked over 100 billion cigarettes in 2012, a report said.