Smokers, drinkers feel the pinch

A ban on the supply of alcohol and cigarettes has resulted in black marketers taking advantage of the situation

The extension of the lockdown has triggered stockpiling of essentials. But two products — liquor and cigarettes — don’t come under this category, and a ban on their supply has resulted in black marketers taking advantage of the situation.

For representational purposes only (Photo: iStock)

Selling from their personal stock, they are charging up to three times the original price. A pack of cigarettes is being sold at ₹500, up from ₹265, and the sale of loose cigarettes has been curbed. “We’d make around ₹10-15 on a pack of 20, which would have an MRP of ₹260. Now, we are procuring it for around ₹450 and selling it at ₹500,” says a paan seller based in Mumbai.

While chain-smokers are in a fix, forced to purchase from the black market, the lockdown comes as a blessing in disguise for some. “I haven’t smoked since the lockdown started and my health has improved,” shares Ashok Thakur, a Gurugram resident.

The crisis is also forcing tipplers to shell out twice the amount of money spent on liquor. “We’re not in a position to bargain, as there is already a shortage,” adds Harshal Mehta, who resides in Mumbai.

And in Delhi, the surge is much steeper, with a bottle of alcohol being sold at a rate that’s 300% higher than the original price. “A can of beer is sold at ₹1,000!” rues a local.