Jaipur, February 1 (Udaipur Kiran): The Rajasthan State ENT Association has expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and the Medical Minister for increasing the excise duty structure on cigarettes and tobacco products in the Union Budget 2026–27. The Central Budget was presented in Parliament by Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The association said that raising the excise duty structure on tobacco products from 28 per cent to up to 40 per cent will discourage users and help reduce consumption. It added that a decline in tobacco use is expected to lead to fewer tobacco-related deaths in the state.
Rajasthan State ENT Association Secretary and Head of the ENT Department at Sawai Man Singh Hospital, Jaipur, Dr Pawan Singhal said that tobacco consumption causes serious diseases and results in over 14 lakh deaths annually across the country, while more than 77,000 people die every year in Rajasthan alone due to tobacco-related illnesses.
Citing the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, Dr Singhal said that tobacco and smoking-related diseases claim over 77,000 lives annually in Rajasthan, around 13.5 lakh lives nationwide and nearly 80 lakh lives worldwide. He further stated that more than 300 children in Rajasthan and about 5,500 children across India start consuming tobacco products every day.
According to the association, 24.7 per cent of Rajasthan’s population currently uses tobacco in some form, including two out of every five men and one out of every ten women. Around 13.2 per cent consume tobacco through smoking, including 22 per cent men and 3.7 per cent women, while 14.1 per cent use smokeless tobacco products, comprising 22 per cent men and 5.8 per cent women.
Dr Singhal said that tobacco consumption is known to cause cancers of the mouth and throat, along with several other serious diseases, but lack of awareness continues to push users towards these harmful products.
He said that under the Union Budget 2026, a new excise duty structure has been implemented for cigarettes and tobacco products. Earlier, these products attracted 28 per cent GST along with a compensation cess. Under the revised structure, the tax burden has been increased to up to 40 per cent GST, along with additional excise duty based on cigarette length per stick and the applicable cess. He said this step will strongly discourage tobacco consumption.
The association also welcomed the Finance Minister’s proposal to exempt 17 medicines from basic customs duty to provide relief to patients, especially those suffering from cancer. This move is expected to make cancer-related medicines more affordable and ease the financial burden on patients.
Dr Singhal said that in the past, the association had regularly written to the Centre and the state government, including submitting memoranda to the Chief Minister, seeking stricter measures to curb tobacco use and prevent tobacco-related diseases.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
