Plea in Bombay High Court by bidi and tobacco traders claims smoking may reduce risk against COVID

A plea has been filed before the Bombay High Court by bidi and tobacco traders and federation of retailers claiming that people who smoke cigarettes and other nicotine products are less vulnerable to COVID-19 (Sneha Marjadi v. State of Maharashtra & Ors.).The plea was filed as intervention applications in a pending before the High Court relating to alleged improper management of COVID-19 treatment in the State of Maharashtra.The applicants, Mumbai Bidi Tambakhu Vyapari Sangh and Federation of Retailers Association of India sought intervention in that case.A Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni had suggested during the hearing of that case in April 2021 that cigarettes and bidis be temporarily banned during the COVID-19 pandemic period considering it may have a correlation with the rise in COVID severe cases. .[COVID-19] Consider a temporary ban on cigarettes, bidis if fatal: Bombay High Court suggests.Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni submitted a report by the Director of the Tata Memorial Centre working under the Atomic Energy Department of Central government which indicated that smokers were a more vulnerable group to contracting COVID-19.He submitted that a majority of the studies indicated that the degree of severity of the COVID infection was higher in people who smoked cigarettes..Senior Advocate Ravi Kadam, appearing for the Federation of Retailers, submitted his contrary opinion based on studies conducted by the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research. He submitted that a report by CSIR indicated that the smokers were less vulnerable to the COVID-19 infection. He claimed the article in fact stated that smoking protects persons from COVID-19 infection.Senior Advocate Kevic Setalvad appearing for the Vyapari Sangh seconded Kadam's submissions. .In the application filed by the Federation, it was stated that nicotine which is a substance present in the cigarettes purportedly prevents COVID virus from entering the lungs. The Court observed that this statement in the application seemed to indicate that there was no co-relation between smoking and the susceptibility of COVID-19. When the Court expressed reservation for relying on a report submitted by CSIR on a subject under the medical field, considering that the CSIR does not have expertise in medical field, the counsel responded that the reports were made after consulting doctors. .The Court then agreed to hear the intervention applications in detail on the limited issue of effect of smoking on the COVID and posted the case for hearing on July 8. [Read order]