GUWAHATI, Nov 9 - Doctors and victims of bidi smoking, while welcoming the government�s decision to tax all tobacco products including bidis at 28 per cent, urged the Council members not to succumb to any outside pressure to lower the tax slab on bidis.
Doctors and victims of bidi smoking welcomed the Government of India�s landmark decision to categorise all tobacco products, including bidis, as demerit goods, taxing them at the highest tax rate at 28 per cent under GST.
Taxing bidis, cigarettes and chewing tobacco products at the highest GST rate will not only discourage the consumption of tobacco products, but will also increase revenue collection for the government.
�Categorising all tobacco products at the highest GST rate, including bidis, is one of the boldest and most impactful public health decisions that Central government has taken to protect the health of its citizens from the growing menace of tobacco addiction.
�Taxing bidis at 28 per cent will prevent death and disease not only amongst millions of bidi smokers, but also among bidi workers who are mostly women and children,� said Dr Ashok Kumar Das, Associate Professor of the Head and Oncology, Dr B Barooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati.
It is to be mentioned that the pro-bidi lobby is trying to create a myth that bidis are safe and poor man�s only means of deriving pleasure.
�By taxing bidis at the same rate as cigarettes and chewing tobacco, the government has assured that millions of bidi users will quit and millions of youth and children will be prevented from initiating tobacco usage,� Dr Das added.
�The government�s bold decision to tax bidis at the highest level gives us courage and confidence that the real voice of victims of bidi consumption has been heard and that the government is serious about addressing the enormous health harms that are faced by users,� said Chajal Kanti Das Purakasthya of Silchar, a throat cancer survivor. Purakasthya was diagnosed with throat cancer due to his habit of smoking bidis and cigarettes.
Bidis are the most commonly used tobacco product in India, accounting for 64 percent of all tobacco consumption and are disproportionately consumed by the poor. Bidis contribute to the majority of the 10 lakh deaths attributable to tobacco as well as the staggering economic burden caused by tobacco use. Of relevance here is a 2008 report published by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
�We have seen how he and our family have suffered due his habit of smoking. We sincerely urge the government to continue to tax all tobacco products including bidis at the 28 per cent GST so that families like us do not have to suffer,� said Ratna, daughter of Chajal Kanti Das Purakasthya.
Oncologist and anti-tobacco activist Dr Vishal Rao said, �We cannot go on subsidizing death for the poor, and justify low taxes for bidis which is one of the most preventable causes of death in India for the rural poor. By keeping bidis in the demerit goods category of GST, the government has demonstrated tremendous commitment towards safeguarding the health of the poor in India. This praiseworthy step will go a long way in saving lakhs of lives and also reducing the government spending on treating tobacco related diseases.�