16 December, 2009 - There is one place in Bhutan where the Indian-made Wills cigarette has not captured the tobacco market, not even the black one. The remote gewog of Laya smokes Chinese-made cigarettes like Hongtashan, Kingsize, Huangguoshu, Lian Xia, Hong Mel, Fupongyan, Five Bulls and Mellow Turong.

Layaps just call it “tangkhu,” which means tobacco – probably because of the difficulty in pronouncing the brands. The cigarettes are cheap and abundant and sneaked in from across the northern borders. Locals prefer Hongtashan, but King Size, costing Nu 80 for 20 sticks, is cheaper and more popular.

Laya smokers cannot remember since when they have been smoking, but say that Chinese cigarettes had been around in Laya for a long time – since Layaps and Tibetans across the border started trading. China is the largest single manufacturer of tobacco products in the world. It boasts a virtual monopoly in the people’s republic of China, which accounts for roughly 30 percent of the world’s total consumption of cigarettes.

“Indian cigarettes are expensive and tasteless. The Chinese King Size is the best,” said a smoker, Ugyen Dorji, 29. “For smokers with low income like us, Chinese-made cigarettes best suit our need.” A strong rumour that Chinese-made cigarettes would make the smoker impotent not long ago made Layaps think twice before they lit up, but today the rumour has died and smokers are convinced it was just a hoax. “I’d been smoking for six years and didn’t have any problem with impotency,” said Ugyen.

Other Layap smokers said that smoking is a common habit among Layaps. “It may be because of the cold and easy access to cigarettes,” said one smoker. “Many pick up the habit at a young age, especially those not going to school. Most Layaps aren’t aware of the tobacco legislation, which the National Assembly recently passed. “We heard that we can’t smoke cigarettes in dzongs, but that we never do even without a legislation,” said another.

Others, who heard of the ban on the sale of tobacco, said that they bring in the cigarettes for their own consumption. “Everybody brings in cigarettes, so there’s no point selling it,” said Wangdi, who calls himself a chain smoker.

Meanwhile, it is not tobacco that is bothering heath and local government authorities in Laya, but the number of medicines that Layaps bring in from across the northern borders. For many years, Layaps have been relying on unprescribed medicines, especially pain-killers, from Chinese Tibet. “Chinese-made medicines are more effective than the ones we get in our hispitals,” said Ugyen Dorji. “I’ve brought Crocin (Paracetamol) from China for my own consumption because it’s more effective than the Paracetamol we get from hospitals,” he said.

“I feel the Paracetamol tablet we get from tour hospital aren’t effective on me,” said 31-year-old Pego. “I’ve got used to the Chinese-made Crocin for 11 years and use it whenever I get a headache,’ she said.

Health officials have been frequently informing people not to consume unprescribed Chinese medicines, said Laya mangmi, Lhaba Tshering. “People were told not to use the medicines without consulting health officials. We even told them the hospitals wouldn’t be responsible for any complications,” said Lhaba Tshering.

Laya health assistant, Kinga Rinchen said that, although there weren’t any cases of complication, they have been warning villagers to avail medicines from them. “These medicines are strong in drugs and people will become dependent on them. It isn’t at all healthy,” said Kinga Rinchen.