Cigarette Prices Soar: 18 Rupee Cigarette to Cost 72 Rupees as New Bill Passes

• Central Excise (Amendment) Bill 2025 passed, aiming to drastically increase cigarette prices to curb sales.
• A single cigarette currently costing 18 rupees is projected to rise to 72 rupees under the new law.
• The bill, presented by Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, has cleared both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
• Excise duty on 1000 cigarettes will jump from 200-735 rupees to 2700-11000 rupees.
• Duties on chewing tobacco and hookah tobacco are also set to increase significantly (25% to 100% and 25% to 40% respectively).

Why It Matters: New bill hikes cigarette prices significantly to reduce tobacco consumption, impacting smokers' expenses.