Why Harm Reduction is the Right Path Forward for India
In a new policy study, R Street Research Fellow Chelsea Boyd examines India’s complex tobacco landscape. The markets, both formal and informal, include many combustible and non-combustible products. But inconsistent enforcement contributes to a growing unregulated trade. For example, unregistered manufacturers of bidis, a popular type of hand rolled cigarette, circumvent both taxes and labor laws. Sensible, consistent regulation that focuses on safer alternatives to combustible cigarettes could be the key to healthier tobacco use in India. “In a country where tobacco use rates are declining by about 2 percent every two years, allowing the use of e-cigarettes and other reduced-risk products could help boost these rates,” writes Boyd.
Read the policy study here.
