Yes.Mr. Vice-President I would like that where these words, namely, “Drinks and drugs” occur, the word “tobacco” also be added between them. Mr. Vice-President, I am aware that in moving this amendment. I would be incurring the displeasure of the influential members of this House and I also feel that I am going against the temper of the majority. In reminding Mr. Tyagi regarding this omission I am submitting it after judging it according to the test laid down by him. He has made out two points, namely, to prohibit those intoxicants that are bad and dangerous for health. Judging by this test we should see whether it can be classified as an intoxicant or not, or whether it is harmful to health. I have no doubt that tobacco is an intoxicant and is more harmful to health than liquor. This is the considered opinion of the medical men that tobacco has nicotine – a poison – most harmful to health. Take the villagers; they get liquor only off-and-on, but they smoke tobacco day and night, and due to their indolence they let suffer even their important tasks. As far as the economic aspect is concerned, I can assure you that much greater loss is incurred on account of tobacco than by liquor. Not only lakhs but crores of rupees annually flow out of the country on this account. When it is realised that tobacco is in fact a dangerous intoxicant, then I do not see why Mr. Tyagi has left out tobacco while mentioning liquor and other drugs. It is probably because it is consumed by the majority but that is no reason. It is said that cigarette or bidi, if consumed in small quantity, would not be harmful to health. But this leads to another controversy of `too-much or too less’. Even if a useful thing is consumed in excess, it might prove harmful. My point is that when you are dead against an innocent thing like liquor then why don’t you prohibit tobacco also?
