Smoking in Bhutan

Smoking in Bhutan is not banned, smoking without a import receipt issued by the Department of Revenue and Customs is banned. Selling cigarettes in Bhutan is illegal so one must import by paying 100 to 200 percent of taxes.

A lot of debate on cigarettes and smoke has been going on and I personally think that the Tobacco Control Act should be amended. Not because smoking is a free right but because the punishment is a little too harsh. Going to jail three months for smoking is not reasonable at all. But on the second thought I think there should be a strict law if you want to implement things.

The Tenancy Act of Bhutan has still been left as a paper tiger because they do not have harsh penalties. Take a house owner to jail for three years for raising the house rent so high and I confirm that housing problem in Thimphu will be automatically addressed.

Coming back to smoking, the Act states that smoking in public places is prohibited but does not state if chewing tobacco is.

Those of you who chew tobacco are luckier than the smokers. One can easily detect people smoking but once cannot detect people chewing tobacco unless you get into their mouth.

However, a save way to smoke is to smoke in a moving car. Even if the police men see you smoking in a moving car they do not say anything.