India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley budget for the 2014/15 fiscal year
India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley poses as he leaves his office to present the union budget for the 2014/15 fiscal year, in New Delhi. Reuters

Twitter is abuzz with hilarious tweets and memes criticising the rise in the price of cigarettes in India's 2014 Union Budget.

The 2014 budget presented by the country's finance minister Arun Jaitley today, announced an increase in the prices of cigarettes, tobaccos, aerated drinks and colas. In a bid to bring down smoking in India, the excise duty on cigarettes was hiked from 11% to a whopping 72%.

Shoes and cell phones will be cheaper now, but the 2014 budget will burn a larger hole in the cigarette smoker's pocket. Gone are the days of sipping cola and smoking cigarettes at the corner store.

India's health minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, recently said that he "supports" higher taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Speaking to The Economic Times, Harsh Vardhan said, "Raising the proportion of specific tax on cigarettes as a percentage of their retail price from about 45 percent to over 60 percent of the retail price of cigarettes would conservatively lead to about three million smokers quitting and nearly three million children not starting."

Here are some of the popular reactions on the cigarette hike by Twitter users.

Business idea #46: Insurance for cigarettes and pan masalas

— Ra_Bies (@Ra_Bies) July 10, 2014

Earlier : I don't like to share Chocolates. After #Budget2014 : I DON'T LIKE TO SHARE CIGARETTE.

— 0mar Abdullah (@abdullah_0mar) July 10, 2014

That day is not far when cigarettes will be sold in jewellery showrooms & banks will launch Loan Schemes for cigarette purchase #Budget2014 — Swami (@mohitraj) July 10, 2014

Now instead of Rotten Lungs picture on cigarette packs they should put empty wallet pictures

— King_Drunkard_IV (@KingDrunkard) July 10, 2014

'Hey, can I bum a cigarette?' Sure. That will be one kidney. — Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) July 10, 2014

No taxes on Cigarettes = Everybody would smoke = More Deaths = Lower Population = Lower Govt Spending = Lower Taxes = Cheaper Cigs =...

— Gaurav (Yellow) (@bwoyblunder) July 10, 2014

Cigarette packets must come with an additional warning: "Cigarette smoking is injurious to your wealth".

— Donald Duck (@WatDaDuck_) July 10, 2014

Earlier: A cigarette in my hand.. I felt like a man Now: A cigarette in my hand.. I felt like a very wealthy man — Champ-u-terology (@BolshoyBooze) July 10, 2014

Cigarette is expensive. Footwear is cheaper. Now Instead of using your footwear to extinguish your cigarette, use it as an ashtray.

— GabbbarSingh (@GabbbarSingh) July 10, 2014

Wife : Arre kahan ho? Husband : Bas yaar aa raha hoon cigarette ka ye packet bank locker me rakh kar... #Budget2014

— Keh Ke Peheno (@coolfunnytshirt) July 10, 2014