Mumbai : Finance ministers decision of increase in the Excise Duty on tobacco and its related products (excluding bidi) has brought mixed reactions from the medical fraternity. Healthcare professionals state that despite of bidi being consumed at such high levels by the rural area population, the government once again failed to increase the excise duty on bidi.
Experts in the cancer-care field express that it is sad that government continues to subsidize bidi that is responsible for nearly 6 lakh deaths every year. They further add that bidi rollers (mainly kids and women) are as much victims of this industry as are bidi users. Dr Prakash Gupta, director of Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health said, “Time and again, the government has failed to include bidi in the increase in the excise duty. Despite of highlighting the situation wherein bidis are highly consumed by rural people where the population is high, the government chooses to ignore this section. Consumption of Bidis kills your immune system and weakens your lung which further leads to life-threatening diseases such as Tuberculosis and Cancer.”
Tshering Bhutia, General Manager, Operations, Salaam Bombay Foundation said, “It is good that in the union budget, raise of 10-15% on excise tax has been announced on the cigarette and tobacco products but when it reaches to the end consumer will not make much difference to their pocket. The increase should have been at least 50%. In addition, this time too bidis were not considered at all”
While speaking to Free Press Journal, Ashwin Iyenagar, a chain-smoker said, “It depends on what the cigarette packet will costs after the increase in excise duty because if it increases by Rs 50, then it will surely pinch my pocket. Considering my addiction towards smoking, it doesn’t matter to me if the prices go high but if it becomes out of my budget, then I will definitely cut down the number of cigarettes smoked by me on a daily basis. ”
