SMOKING IS BANNED IN ALL PUBLIC PLACES

Smoking is banned practically in whole of India now. It’s good for all, especially for the new generation. However, I am opposed to the underlying hypocrisy, the way it is done.

Yet, being a moderate smoker for little over forty years, I owe something to tell to the younger generation who have just started their career and family life.

Smoking cost you almost the same which you spend for your food, leave apart medical related expenses. My present average spending is about INR 2000 per month. And I know, for sure, my monthly expenditure on food is less than that!

The NPV cost of my smoking for all these years works out to roughly INR 1 million. I have assumed inflation rate of 5% upto 1990 and then 10% till 2008 to work out the NPVs.

In 1980s a three bed room DDA flat at Delhi was costing INR 0.11 million to INR 0.14 million. Market value of these flats are now INR 10 million to INR 10.50 million. I could not buy a DDA Flat at Delhi in 1980s even on a very easy and low installment payment because I didn’t have money. Interestingly my NPV calculation shows that my smoking cost in mid eighties aggregated to INR 0.23 million.

Please realize how much smoking costs you apart from being a health hazard. There is a hardly any other item whose price escalated at such an astronomically high rate. I tabulate below the cost trend of cigarette during last 75 years.

Date           Brand of Cigarette      Cost per packet

03.06.33    Player’s BACHELOR    INR 1 & 2 annas (INR 1.12) per pack of 50

10.08.40    State Express 555       INR 1 & 10 annas (INR 1.63 for pack of 50)

07.02.47    CARLTON  London     5 annas (INR 0.31) per pack of 10

25.10.44    Wills Navy Cut             4 annas (INR 0.25) per pack of 10

25.10.44    Gold Flake                  INR 3 & 5 annas (INR 3.30) per pack of 50

01.05.69    Wills Navy Cut             INR 1.80 per pack of 20

Today        Wills Navy Cut             INR 72.00 per pack of 20