Health experts alarmed by GST cut on beedis, demand uniform taxation
_vb_67 (1)_vb_82.jpeg)
New Delhi (PTI): Health experts have raised serious concerns over the government's decision to reduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on beedis from 28 per cent to 18 per cent, while other tobacco products remain in the highest 40 per cent slab.
They warned that cheaper beedis could increase their use, particularly among poor and vulnerable communities, worsening India's tobacco-related health burden.
Beedis, the most commonly smoked tobacco product in India, are used by over 70 million adults, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India 2016-17.
Warning of public health risks, renowned oncologist and recipient of the Judy Wilenfield Award for Global Tobacco Control by WHO Partners, Dr Vishal Rao, said, "Beedis, widely consumed by vulnerable populations, are very harmful. This tax disparity risks making beedis more affordable, potentially increasing their use, leading to cancers and other diseases."
Emphasising the broader policy risks, Dr Rao said this rate reduction would "subsidise death" for the poor as they are the most vulnerable.
"The government's decision to lower the GST on beedis to 18 per cent while setting other tobacco products at 40 per cent is a detrimental step for public health... Uniformly high taxation across all tobacco products is critical to deter consumption and protect public health," he said.
Highlighting the dangers of beedis, public health expert and Head of the Department of Rheumatology at AIIMS, Delhi, Dr Uma Kumar said evidence clearly shows that higher taxation helps prevent tobacco use by reducing its affordability.
"Beedis are no less harmful than cigarettes or smokeless tobacco. Their toxicity is well documented and consumption leads to life-threatening diseases such as cancers, respiratory illnesses, and heart conditions," she said.
Former director general of health services Dr Jagdish Prasad said no health or economic expert would support making a deadly product like beedi cheaper.
"Uneven tax policies that favour beedis over other tobacco products dangerously encourage their use, undermining decades of public health efforts. Bold, uniform and high taxes on all tobacco products are essential to curb consumption and protect our most vulnerable from these preventable health crises."
Elaborating on beedi-related health hazards, Dr Pragya Shukla, Head of Clinical Oncology at Delhi State Cancer Institute, said, "Beedis, widely used across India's rural and low-income communities, deliver dangerously high levels of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide, making them a significant driver of serious health issues such as oral and lung cancers, bladder cancers, cervical cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and cardiovascular conditions."
"Higher and uniform taxation on all tobacco products, including beedis, is a proven public health strategy that reduces affordability, discourages uptake and lowers overall consumption. This approach helps protect vulnerable populations from devastating health consequences and reduces the immense economic burden on our healthcare system," she said.
Taxation is a proven tool for tobacco control, according to the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), to which India is an early signatory.
Global studies show that a 10 per cent price increase can reduce tobacco consumption by 4-8 per cent in low and middle-income countries, particularly among the youth and lower-income groups sensitive to price changes.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) further recommends that at least 75 per cent of the retail price of tobacco products should be taxed to effectively reduce consumption.
Tobacco-related diseases impose a massive economic toll, estimated at over Rs 1.77 lakh crore annually in India, driven by medical costs and productivity losses. Poor households bear the heaviest burden and cheaper beedis could exacerbate this issue.
Health advocates are urging the government to reconsider the GST reduction, arguing that affordable access to a deadly product will derail tobacco control efforts, disproportionately affecting rural and low-income communities.
They have emphasised that uniform taxation aligned with global recommendations is essential for achieving sustainable development goals related to health, poverty reduction and social equity.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Road crash in UP leaves 10 dead
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) (PTI): Ten people were killed when a van collided head-on with a truck on the Sisaiya-Lakhimpur national highway on Monday, police said.
The van was going to Sisaiya from Lakhimpur when the accident took place between Unchgaon and Bharehta villages.
Circle Officer of Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, said all nine passengers travelling in the van and the driver were killed.
District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri Anjani Kumar Singh told reporters that the van collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction, leading to nine casualties on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries at the district hospital.
Circle Officer, Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh told PTI, "Efforts are on to establish the identity of other deceased persons."
The seven of the deceased have been identified as Jaideep Singh (25), Pawan (23), Sohan (21), Ram Goyal (42), Sahajram (35), Pappu (18), all residents of Bahraich district and Adnan Khan (15), a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said.
Condoling the loss of lives in the accident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on X, said, "The loss of life in the unfortunate road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply distressing and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families."
"I have directed the local administration to provide prompt and adequate assistance to the injured and the victims. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed souls a place at His divine feet and to bestow a speedy recovery upon the injured," Adityanath said on X.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak too condoled the loss of lives in the accident.
"The loss of lives resulting from the road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply tragic and heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families," Maurya said.
