Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Wednesday 20 September 2017

Killing an Elephant with a Needle ?



Recent news reports say , Indian cigarette industry is in trouble


Last quarter , sales declined by some 9 % , presumably because cigarette prices went up by 23 % , due to increased taxes


Come 28 Feb ( next budget ) and very likely the taxes will go up even further , as these have , year after year


But if government is hoping that rising prices alone will stop people from smoking – and dying - , it is not likely to happen , any time soon !


And 60 lakh of people will continue to die in India every year due to smoking induced cancer


All over the World , tobacco smoking killed 7.1 million people in 2016 , as per a study / survey conducted by Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation ( HME ) , at the University of Washington


But these unnaturally early deaths can be prevented , should the Government were to adopt a long term ROAD MAP , as described in my following blog :


Going Upin Smoke ?  [  18  Aug   2013  ]


If there is a political will , it is not difficult to save 60 lakh lives every year !




21  Sept  2017



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