Bengaluru city doctors welcome higher taxes on tobacco

Bengaluru: The Finance Ministry’s move to increase a specific excise duty on cigarettes from 11% to 72% has garnered an admiring “wow” from city doctors. The excise duty on pan masala too, is being increased from 12% to 16%, on un-manufactured tobacco from 50% to 55% and from 60% to 70%on gutkha and chewing tobacco.

Definitely the docs approve. “It is a very good move that will prevent people from using these products disproportionately. Primarily, it will help people keep good health and hygiene and also avoid risk of oral and stomach cancers and prevent the spread of infections in public,’’ says Dr Venkataramanaa N.K., Vice Chairman & Chief Neurosurgeon, BGS Global Hospitals.

According to recent studies, tobacco use has caused a total of around 930,000 adult deaths in the country in 2010 with nearly 70% of these deaths having happened in the age group of 30-69 years. Dr Vishal Rao, Senior consultant, Head, Neck, surgical oncology, BGS Hospital, asserts that with the country losing 10 lakh tobacco consumers every year, the tobacco industry needs to replenish a lot of these consumers and hence they attack the youth, so raising the tax slab on cigarettes is a remarkable move.

‘‘The youth runs largely on pocket money and the government’s move to raise taxes on aerated drinks and tobacco shows a commitment to preventive health care,’’ adds Dr Vishal.

Studies have shown that a 10% increase in taxes on ‘beedi’ would reduce its consumption by 9.2% in rural India and 8.5% in urban India and increasing the price of tobacco through higher taxes is the single most effective way to urge tobacco users to quit. In fact, a WHO (World Health Organization) publication also states that govt should follow a tobacco taxation method to prevent children from starting to smoke.