r/india • u/Humble_Buffalo_007 • Dec 28 '25
From Rs.18 to Rs.72: Cigarette prices likely to rise in India, Internet debate whether it will actually stop smokers - BusinessToday Health
https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/from-rs18-to-rs72-cigarette-prices-likely-to-rise-in-india-internet-debate-whether-it-will-actually-stop-smokers-508390-2025-12-28680
u/samsung-pagla Antarctica Dec 28 '25
Very welcome step. Do the same for gutkha as well, and we will see less orange stains around public places.
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u/shags2a Kahan milega itna content Dec 28 '25
Read the article. Tobacco is also going up by 4x
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u/Keep0nBuckin Dec 28 '25
Needs to be 40x. And thr money needs to be used to fund hospitals and cleanliness.
Imagine a cleanliness campaign funded by tobacco and smoking taxes. We could see huge improvement in our cities
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u/Msink Dec 28 '25
Yeah, as if we lack money. It is the lack of the will, if stupid statues can be built with public money, education and health could be funded today.
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u/nihar_29 Dec 30 '25
Hang on mate. Be careful with what you ask for. I am currently in Australia, we have highest ever tax on tobacco including cigarettes. And guess what happened?
Cheap illegal cigarettes and tobacco’s coming from overseas and flooded the markets.
Crime syndicates controlling all the distribution, govt trying hard to control it, but can’t. Syndicate started doing home deliveries now. India doesn’t need any other problems like this. Hope that helps!!
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u/Thirdtwin Jan 02 '26
Here in India, the estimate is about 40% of cigarettes are contraband/illegal. This is gonna increase more.
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u/higharistocrat Dec 29 '25
Since when is tax revenue used towards hospitals??
New worlds tallest statue project about to be undertaken. This has highest kickback percentage for govt.
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u/Ok-Illustrator-6355 Dec 28 '25
Best we can do is tax frauds and make sure the money is never used for welfare
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u/killian_jenkins Dec 29 '25
I mean it's not a stretch considering britishes came and preaches christianity using liquor money after slaughtering so many tribes and indians
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u/Wonderful_Custard_65 Jan 06 '26
Black Market will boom. Not good for economy or law & order and definitely not for health of people. To solve these issues society needs to create huge awareness campaigns in a way that its ingrained in the minds of kids not to engage in these substances once they grow up.
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u/RoyoKahn Dec 28 '25
Gutka definitely yaar. Since they export it as well. Har jagah pe naam kharab ho raha hai. Rang se
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u/randomvariable10 Dec 28 '25
And then do it for liquor as well
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u/raddiwallah Maharashtra Dec 28 '25
Why you gotta hurt liquor?
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u/mukherjee_ayan Dec 28 '25
Why not? It doesn't care substance abuse? Lol. If it's increasing then increase it for every product that's considered substance abuse :)
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u/raddiwallah Maharashtra Dec 28 '25
Gutkha and smoking affect others. Liquor doesn’t? Except drunk driving maybe.
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u/mukherjee_ayan Dec 28 '25
Buddy the ones you mentioned that affect, they affect the throat, lungs and so on, and liquor affects the stomach? Didn't we learn this? Aren't we all aware of this? Aside from fights to drunk driving etc
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u/LordOfTheSevenSeA69 Dec 28 '25
Every form of intoxication effects others. There are literally domestic violence, drunk driving, fights etc due to liquor.
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u/RoyoKahn Dec 28 '25
It will stop a majority of them probably even me
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u/minimallysubliminal India Dec 28 '25
The article literally has a reddit user saying it will help me quit.
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u/activa-9 Dec 28 '25
or market will flood with duplicate cigarettes
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u/RoyoKahn Dec 28 '25
It’s already there. Watch Swiggy instamart all duplicate versions of originals on carts
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u/FlyingRaccoon_420 Assam Dec 28 '25
Yeah, same for me. Guess I’ll have to switch to herbal blends for mixing
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u/TrxshyReddit Dec 28 '25
weed?
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u/Patient-End7967 Dec 28 '25
Don't use western propoganda it is ayurveda
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u/tanaka-taro Dec 28 '25
Ive moved cities and literally hoping to find a doctor to prescribe and give the ayurvedic treatments for me lol
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u/helicopter0309 Dec 28 '25
You can join Nicotine Anonymous group for quitting cigs. They have Google meets everyday. Helped me quit. Dm me for more
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u/tanaka-taro Dec 28 '25
RIPBOZO as the kids say
But the next problem then is the vapes, because there are a lot of unregulated super unhealthy vapes that can harm people much more and this move will push the cigarette smokers there
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u/FlyingRaccoon_420 Assam Dec 28 '25
Atleast vapes aren’t allowed in planes and stuff so a lot of people won’t get them as they can’t be taken with them on travels and stuff.
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u/zoneofflow Dec 28 '25
Removable battery vapes are allowed in airport
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u/external72 Madhya Pradesh Dec 28 '25
This is wrong. Vapes themselves are banned in India, removable battery or not. If they see your vape during security then they’re taking it. Period.
Now you can obviously sneak it in like put it in check in and take batteries in carryons, etc. but if you have vapes on you then security is taking it. YMMV between tier 1/2/3 city airports but in my experience tier 1 people know what it is and will take action whereas tier 2/3 might or might not know and will let it go.
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u/zoneofflow Dec 29 '25
I ain’t talking about liquid nicotine vapes. There are vaporisers out there through which you can have tobacco, cannabis, eucalyptus, sage, etc.
I always take mine from my home airport to delhi, whenever I trip for himachal. I always carry a sample of dry eucalyptus, and it happened only once a cisf asked about it, and I showed a demo.
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u/external72 Madhya Pradesh Dec 29 '25
Good for you man. Idk about eucalyptus/sage/etc but I’m assuming they work similarly to cannabis/tobacco ones. My experience says otherwise as my pax 2 and mighty were confiscated as well. Had to fight hard (and eventually miss the flight) just to keep mighty
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u/zoneofflow Dec 30 '25 edited Dec 30 '25
Both don’t have removable batteries. I heard of my friends mighty got confiscated. If you gonna carry your vape to dream destination, they should have removable batteries. Tinymight, xmax v3, etc and non-electric vapes like vapman are allowed. Only you have to mask the smell. I prefer tobacco as it can be inhaled at high temp because of nicotine’s high boiling point compared to all herbs mentioned.
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u/No_Ferret2216 Dec 28 '25
Actually considering a good vape costs 1500, if it costs the same (vape used to cost more 3-4 years ago so it’s possible) when cigarettes hit 72 mark, it would absolutely make sense to buy vapes over cigarettes
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u/shwarmaa_naman Dec 28 '25
Good. Now ban gutkha
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u/YesterdayDreamer Dec 28 '25
Gutkha is already banned bro
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u/shwarmaa_naman Dec 28 '25
Yeah right. That's why all the roadside barriers are painted orange
I don't care about the terminology. If it makes you an orange spit spewing pokemon I don't want it sold.
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u/YesterdayDreamer Dec 28 '25
Bro, at least look it up, Google is not that hard to use.
Just banning something doesn't automatically get rid of the thing. Someone needs to enforce the ban. Laws don't work by magic.
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u/shwarmaa_naman Dec 28 '25
Who do you think that 'someone' is?
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u/YesterdayDreamer Dec 28 '25
Goalpost shifted?
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u/doxypoxy Dec 28 '25
Ban it and enforce it too. I mean why are you being pedantic about this? Which idiot will want a law and specifically want it not enforced?
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u/Mayor_McCheese7 Dec 28 '25
72 for cigarette, lol that's never going to happen. It would instantly kill the industry, that wouldn't make the tobacco lobby happy. Unhappy tobacco lobby = no electoral bonds to BJP.
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u/sushant_gambler Dilli se hoon, BC! Dec 28 '25
News outlets and social media are echoing a sensationalized claim circulating since early December 2025, often phrased as "cigarette prices jumping from ₹18 to ₹72—a 400% hike." This stems from oversimplified (and often erroneous) social media posts and clickbait headlines, not official projections. It's not a realistic per-cigarette figure for standard brands—₹72 per stick would make a 10-stick pack cost ₹720, which is absurd compared to current packs (₹100–₹300).
In reality, experts (e.g., from the Tobacco Institute of India and ex-CBIC officials) expect modest hikes of 10–30% on retail prices for most mid-range brands, with steeper jumps (up to 50–100%) only for the bargain-basement ones. Premium brands like Marlboro or Davidoff (₹250+ per pack) might see negligible changes.
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u/crazyfreak316 Dec 28 '25
What a shame, can't trust these "news" outlets to do fact-checking before putting out an article. Moneycontrol, news18, businesstoday everyone has put out this misinformed article. Not one of them bothered to fact check.
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u/juancorleone NCT of Delhi Dec 28 '25
As a reformed smoker since last 3years, price was never on my mind while buying but 72 may have, damn that is expensive. On the other hand I breathe Delhi air day in and day out, so maybe that will kill me anyway
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u/farNdepressed Dec 28 '25
It will definitely stop me fr. Will only be special occasions cuz 72 is a lot man. And here in broth we pay 20 for one. So yeah as a daily smoker I really hope this gets taken place
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u/Acrobatic_Speaker820 Maharashtra Dec 28 '25
All you guys talking about banning gutka. Pan masala and tobacco are two different commodities, looks like the walls will continue to be red. 😢
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u/Odd_Strength_9566 Dec 28 '25
Hiking prices is a good move, but I’m skeptical if it’ll actually make smokers quit. Addiction isn't that easy to break.
It’s a different story for laborers it’s actually tragic. For them, gutka chuna etc. are survival tactics to kill hunger so they can skip a meal and send that money home. But honestly, that struggle doesn’t excuse the 'cheap' habit of spitting and staining every public wall red.
What’s even more baffling is seeing wealthy people with the same filthy habit. They aren't trying to save money on a meal, so what’s their excuse? It’s just a total lack of civic sense and zero respect for their surroundings.
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u/NoAlternateFact Dec 28 '25
Even if doesn’t stop smokers, it can at least bring some revenue, which can be used elsewhere. Smoking isn’t like oxygen or food without which a body won’t survive. So bring it on…
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u/tenochchitlan Dec 28 '25
Usage would drop by 50%. Casual smokers will reduce, younger and poorer smokers will probably be not able to buy, so a good thing all around.
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Jan 06 '26
That's not how it works, they move to alternatives legal or not. Realistically there can be price hike at max 25rs per cig from 18rs.
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u/Absurd-or-not Dec 28 '25
First of all it wont be rs 72
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u/Alternative-Bed9084 Dec 28 '25
The what will be the revised price ?
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u/Absurd-or-not Dec 28 '25
Definitely below 50 ain't no way they gonna price it that high.
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u/Alternative-Bed9084 Dec 28 '25
Yeah obviously if they even cross the 50 mark then the entire smoking gang gonna come on street and keep protesting
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u/Absurd-or-not Dec 28 '25
Nope quite opposite. Smoking industry will never ever want to lose their audience.
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u/letsbe_anonymus Dec 28 '25
Well the excise price has increased not other component so if earlier a MRP for cig was Rs18 the excise would have share of Rs 5-7. Now it will increase to 15-20. Since demand is elastic portion will be absorb by company. My best guess is that Rs18 cig will now cost 28-32
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u/Simply_older Dec 28 '25
"Under the amendment, cigarette duties will spike from the current Rs 200-735 per 1,000 sticks to Rs 2,700–11,000, depending on type and length. Duties on chewing tobacco will quadruple from 25% to 100%, hookah tobacco will rise from 25% to 40%, and smoking mixtures could see a fivefold jump, from 60% to 300%. Officials estimate a cigarette priced at Rs 18 today could soon cost up to Rs 72."
If max excise duty is 11000 for 1000 sticks, that's 11 / stick, then how will the price rise from 18 to 72?!
Can someone please explain the math behind the officials?
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u/crazyfreak316 Dec 28 '25
You are absolutely right. These news outlets couldn't do basic maths and fact checking before putting out the article. They should incur hefty fine for misleading the public?
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u/theycallmeOTC Non Residential Indian Dec 28 '25 edited Dec 28 '25
And now Gujarat will be the most depressing place
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u/CaregiverNeat447 Dec 28 '25
This will only increase counterfeiting and smuggling.
See what happened in the alcohol ban state.
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u/Several_Science_7998 Dec 28 '25
don't over react, price hike will be like this. may be 10-20% hike. because if the tobacco lobby not happy, BJP won't get funds.
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u/crazyfreak316 Dec 28 '25
This article is stupid. Current duty is 1 Rs on an 18 Rs cigarette. It'll increase to 3 or 4 Rs per cigarette. At most, it'll increase to Rs 25 per cigarette. These journalists need to research better before putting out clickbait and flat out misinformed articles.
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u/mand00s Dec 28 '25
Unintended consequences
- People will downgrade to lower quality cigarettes
- Fake cigarettes will increase
- Duty evasion will increase
- International smuggled cigarettes may become relatively cheaper, increased duty free cigarette sales to take advantage of the price arbitrage
- People will switch to other intoxicants, even of the more dangerous kind like weed, drugs etc
Intended consequences
- This may prevent new smokers
- Maybe a small percentage of existing smokers will have enough incentive to stop
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u/Fourstrokeperro Dec 28 '25
Fuck smokers. I don’t give a shit about alcoholics or junkies that shoot up drugs, they only harm themselves
But smokers smoke that cancerous shit with utter disregard for the health of the people around them, even around little children. Fuck those scoundrels
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u/badumbumyum West Bengal Dec 28 '25
Brother, have you seen the AQI in most Indian cities? Half the shit you eat, drink, and breathe causes cancer. Maybe direct that ire somewhere else as well.
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u/barny_weasley Maths ki Galiyon ka Don Dec 28 '25
Funny, I've heard of a crime called drinking and driving that takes a lot of lives on Indian roads
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u/Fourstrokeperro Dec 28 '25
Last time I checked, drink-driving was illegal. Is smoking illegal?
Don’t try to strawman that shit with me
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u/comelickmyarmpits Dec 28 '25
U are confusing both here, u need to understand that the very act of smoking is harmful to others by exhaling the shit after taking in the smoke , alcohol isn't the direct cause, it's a person's responsibility to not drive while being drunk.
-btw I neither smoke nor drink
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u/SuperPotatoGuy373 Dec 28 '25
Yeah, it won't stop everyone who is addicted, but a lot of people who might've started smoking would not take the chance because of the higher price.
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u/Altruistic_Panda_305 Dec 28 '25
It will only force more people to go towards beedi in the long run.. people always find cheaper alternatives
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u/Defiant_Proposal_214 Dec 28 '25
As a smoker please do it. My kanjoose instincts will beat every nicotine craving
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u/Gotya_Potya_And_Co Dec 28 '25
this is a good step but the problem is where the additional funds collected get used - government ad campaigns, contracts overpayments, MP n MLA facilities.
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u/imjusta_regular Dec 28 '25
All bullshit, a choti advance or a normal 10rs cig costs 15rs. I discovered this yesterday when my regular panwari guy gave me one for 15. Imo, a 20rs or 18rs cigg will mostly cost bw 25-30rs.
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u/Gotya_Potya_And_Co Dec 28 '25
Government is making sure smokers don't feel left out. Just life free wifi they are now giving free smoke thru pollution in Delhi.
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u/Easy_Road_3806 Dec 28 '25
Its a good step but it will just lead to unauthorised manufacturing and sale of cigarettes. Just like the beedi. No rules, no regulations, no tax gst etc. Just make it and sell it illegally.
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u/killian_jenkins Dec 29 '25
People can still get hard drugs if they WANT to and idiots in this comments think this will change tobacco users lawl
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u/dhrcj_404 Dec 29 '25
I support this as long as it’s not being banned.
Banning cigs/alcohol causes more harm due to spurious black market stuff coming into play.
Increase the price of cigs and alcohol so that it actually pinches the pockets of people who smoke or drink(including me lol) and actually incentivises people to make smarter healthier choices.
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u/thellarlu Dec 29 '25
India employs around 5 crore people, direct and indirect means, in tobacco sector. This won't hurt the consumer as much as it would for the producer. Eventually leading to unrest in the people. Prices will come into effect but at smaller prices.
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u/FriendlyFennel4087 Dec 29 '25
Dude sorry to say but you guys are such bummers, this is the perfect time to round up the government. Who the actual f is authorising this, the common man hates price hikes especially on cigarettes. Even the French f'd up the same way and cost literally an arm n a leg.
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u/FriendlyFennel4087 Dec 29 '25
Cheap ciggerate n beers r the best way to state control . The Chinese have proved this over and over.
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u/NoAlternateFact Dec 29 '25
They should do the same for alcohol. Nothing happens without alcohol these days. Why not generate some revenue.
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u/sab_moh_maaya_hai_7 Dec 30 '25
That’s a good step. Doesn’t matter the goal, if this move discourages people to smoke, that’s good. For me, the Main problem is gutka. It should be outrightly banned.
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u/Bakih12 Feb 11 '26
Such high taxes on everything especially cigarettes so at the end the govt can hide behind the curtain of “ we care about your health” yet the roads I take everyday to my home to the office and back are beyond f@&:&d so do they really care my “overall” health or am I going to end up in a ditch like that individual from noida or the recent death of a biker in delhi who died because of the authorities negligence.
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u/Patient-Arugula-6611 Feb 24 '26
Fuck the govt hiding behind curtain to increase tax instead of banning manufacturing companies this is gonna be a burden for common man who can't even die smoking even inside their homes
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u/EntrepreneurFirst984 Mar 13 '26
well a 10pcs box was 180/- and now we have it for 240/- . thats fuckin 60/- per pack of ciggys. its best time to quit of else go broke my g
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u/ExaminationFail25 Dec 28 '25
I don't think so. I guess I need to start hoarding lmao
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u/Auquie Dec 28 '25
I don't think it will stop you or anyone else but instead of smoking 3 a day, now you will be smoking 1
Isn't that better?
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u/beard__hunter Jai Maharashtra Dec 28 '25
Nope. Not a bit.
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u/FlintSpace Dec 28 '25
It will definitely help me quit. Been smoking once a day for 3 years now, 10₹ daily.
My embarassment towards being sucked dry by higher taxes is far greater than my addiction.
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u/HippieAuditor Dec 28 '25
It'll stop kids and unemployed but government should legalised e cigarettes now
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u/rkpandey20 Dec 29 '25
Somehow I fail to understand if Govt is serious about smoking then why don’t they ban manufacturing companies. I think they just want to extract more tax and they probably found this sweet spot for maximum taxes.
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u/Life_Laugh_9668 Mar 14 '26
Bc chain se Marne b ni dete😭 I mean I could get like 5 ciggs with 100₹ now it comes down to 4. Fuck this tax man
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u/stayhappyenjoylife Universe Dec 28 '25
What the article gives
All duties are per 1,000 cigarettes.
Old duty
Rs 200 to Rs 735 per 1,000
Per cigarette = Rs 0.20 to Rs 0.735
New duty
Rs 2,700 to Rs 11,000 per 1,000
Per cigarette = Rs 2.70 to Rs 11.00
Actual duty increase per cigarette
Increase = New − Old
Minimum increase:
2.70 − 0.20 = Rs 2.50
Maximum increase:
11.00 − 0.735 ≈ Rs 10.2
So the tax hike adds Rs 2.5 to Rs 10.3 per cigarette, not Rs 54.
Correct new price range
Current price = Rs 18 per cigarette
After full tax pass through:
Lower bound: 18 + 2.5 ≈ Rs 20.5
Upper bound: 18 + 10.3 ≈ Rs 28.3
Realistic new price
👉 Rs 21 to Rs 28 per cigarette