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If you smoke, you are aware that in the states of California, Connecticut, Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington and other 15 states across have all implemented statewide bans on smoking in public places. In several other states the imposed bans were partial. Even in those 14 states that have not introduced statewide bans, smokers anyway are unwelcome in many cities and counties, where local authorities decided to impose public smoking bans as well.

In case your state or city can be found in the list of places were public smoking is banned you have an option of moving to another state, where there is no bans. It also can be a great option for those smokers, who live in the states that set enormous cigarette taxes, like it is for instance, in Rhode Island or New York.

That seems be a great alternative for American smokers seeking to smoke in public places or pay less taxes. However, there are some countries where smokers have no options. According to Sam Twitter, National Geographic reporter, in Bhutan smokers do not have any options or alternatives. It happened because the Bhutan Government recently approved the countrywide ban on smoking. In conformity to the corresponding legislation smoking in public places and distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products is prohibited. Any person caught at the time of smoking, selling or buying tobacco would be convicted with misdemeanor and subject to pay a hefty fine of as much as $232. In case you think that the fine is not very big, let me tell you that the average monthly salary in Bhutan is approximately $100. Therefore, it is a fantastic sum of money for Bhutanese. Simply imagine that you would have to pay $2000 if you are caught in a smoke shop. Not that bad, isn’t it?

Thirty years ago, back in 1972, Jigme Singye Wangchuck the then king of Bhutan, shocked the world by introducing the politics based on Gross National Happiness. Till nowadays there is no precise definition for that term, however GNH can be defined as an effort to identify the life quality in more integral and rather abstract terms than such generally accepted standards of life quality as Gross Domestic Product. The major aim of Gross National Happiness policy was to persuade people that mental and social wellness is more relevant than other more objective economy measures. However, it seems that Bhutan lawmakers have forgotten that cigarettes make an essential part of emotional well-being of at least some of the citizens.

Many Bhutanese are upset and frustrated about the nationwide ban. Many are whispering complaints and curses, because they simply can’t believe that they will never light a cigarette any more. "The government has simply taken cigarettes away from us, and we have nothing to do with that," complained a man who asked to hide his name, because he was afraid of losing his job for one of three Bhutan internet providers.

“That is a terrific violation of fundamental human right,” Tshetanang Senedup, a 23-year-old Hong Kong University of Science & Technology student from Bhutan wrote in her blog. “The government should help people to get rid of smoking habit like it is done in civilized countries, instead of simply banning cigarettes.”

The Bhutan government is now looking to pass a ban concerning the use of electronic-cigarettes, since their popularity in the country has been growing dramatically. The Health officials state that the nationwide smoking ban applies to all products containing nicotine. Therefore, the distribution or use of e-cigs should be regarded as illegal.