Will hiking tobacco tax in India cause people to quit smoking?

Cigarette smoking is part of daily life in New Delhi. Smokers standing outside tobacco vendors are a common sight. The Finance Ministry has begun imposing a higher rate of tax starting February 1, ranging from 2,050 rupees ($22) to 8,500 rupees ($92) per thousand cigarettes, depending on their size. The new tax is applied in addition to the existing 40% Goods and Services Tax. Rajeev Malhotra, a cigarette and betel leaf seller in the heart of the capital city, says while the increase in cigarette prices is likely to impact sales, “people who want to consume nicotine will always find a way to.” According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India is also the second largest consumer and producer of tobacco products, which are available at very low prices in the country. India is home to nearly 267 million adults who are users of smoking and smokeless tobacco, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey India, 2016-17. Smoking is also one of the major causes of death and disease in India and accounts for nearly 1.35 million deaths every year, according to the WHO. Globally, tobacco use is one of the biggest public health threats. According to the WHO, tobacco use is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, including various cancers, chronic lung diseases, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. In India, the total economic costs attributable to tobacco use from all diseases for persons aged 35 years and above in 2017-18 were estimated at around 177,341 crore rupees (about $27.5 billion), including both direct medical costs and indirect costs due to lost productivity and premature deaths. This burden represents roughly 1% of India’s GDP for that period. Dr. K.S. Uplabdh Gopal, Associate Fellow (Health Initiative) at the Observer Research Foundation and a medical doctor, says that “tobacco is driving a large, predictable, and preventable burden of disease” in India. “Official data shows that it is concentrated in rural India. It rises sharply with age. And in some states, it is at a level that is hard to describe as anything other than a public health emergency,” he says. This article was provided by The Associated Press.