FM advises people to quit smoking; increases tax on tobacco items

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today advised people not to smoke and increased excise duty on tobacco items.
Presenting the Budget in the Lok Sabha, Mr Mukherjee admitted that he himself used to smoke earlier but left the habit many years ago.
''I will advise other people also to quit smoking as it is injurious to health,'' he said.
The budget has increased the excise duty on cigarette, cigar along with that on non-smoking tobacco products like scented chewing tobacco, snuff. Also, an additional tax has been levied on pouch machines of branded tobacco. The annoucement was welcomed by the members who were also happy about excise duty exemption on toys and baloons.
Seeing women members clapping, the finance minister quipped that toys and balloons are source of joy for children. So, to see the happy faces of their mothers the tax on those items has been exempted.