Sun Feb 02 07:10:14 UTC 2025: ## Mysuru Anti-Tobacco Activists Criticize Union Budget’s Lack of Tobacco Tax Increase
**Mysuru, Karnataka, February 2, 2025** – Anti-tobacco activists in Mysuru have expressed deep disappointment over the Union Budget 2025-26’s failure to increase taxes on tobacco products. Vasanthkumar Mysoremath, Convenor of the Anti-Tobacco Forum, Mysuru, criticized the lack of any increase in sin tax or National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD) on tobacco, stating that the industry is profiting while millions die prematurely from tobacco-related diseases.
Mysoremath highlighted that India, a signatory to the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), should ideally increase taxes on tobacco products to 75% of retail price. He pointed out that current taxes are significantly lower (52.7% on cigarettes, 22% on bidis, and 63.8% on chewing tobacco), despite India having 245 million tobacco consumers. He argued that even a small increase, such as ₹1 per cigarette, would generate substantial revenue for de-addiction programs and healthcare initiatives.
The activist further lamented the absence of measures to curb tobacco cultivation, calling for a gradual reduction in production to limit the supply of raw materials to the industry. He also criticized the reduction in cancer drug prices, arguing that this does little to address the root cause of the problem: tobacco consumption. Mysoremath urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to reconsider the issue and implement significant tax increases on tobacco products in the future.
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