National
Cigarette sales hold steady in Spain
By h.b. - Aug 2, 2007 - 8:23 PM
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While the Spanish Ministry for Health claims that there are now 700,000 fewer smokers in the country since the introduction of their Anti-Smoking legislation in 2005, new numbers on sales show that practically the same number of cigarettes are being sold.
Over the year 2005-6 sales fell by 2.8%, the first year of the new restrictions, but now for the first half of the second year, sales are down just 0.26%.
The Spanish law increased the number of public buildings were smoking is prohibited, but gave small bar owners the choice of whether their venue was smoking or not.
The National Committee Against Tobacco Addiction considers sales are down only because of increased taxes, but they say because tobacco is in the list of items to calculate the IPC inflation rate, the Government is scared to increase prices dramatically.
Prices here remain 50% cheaper than in neighbouring countries. They also note that an estimated third of all cigarettes sold in Spain are purchased by foreigners – an amazing 1,6 billion packets a year.