Cigarette sales fall by 3.3pc

by Staff Reporter
THE number of cigarettes smoked in the Balearics in the first eight months of the year has dropped by 3.3 per cent to a total of 134.1 million packets (of 20). This was much higher than the national average of 0.4 per cent, according to a spokesman for the tobacco industry. The sales brought in 317.8 million euros, 1.5 per cent less than the first eight months of last year. But nationwide, sales were 61'431.0 million packets with a turnover of more than 6'882.0 million euros, an increase of 4.3 per cent. Health ministry sources said that a further drop in smokers can be expected over the next few months. A spokesman cited the anti-smoking law which will come into force nationwide on January 1 (the Balearics has its own anti-smoking law which came into force earlier this year) and a ten per cent increase in tobacco tax as reasons for a further fall. There has also been a drop in cigar sales, down by 5.2 per cent to 10'128 million units, with a turnover of 22'905 million euros, down by 6.5 per cent compared to the first eight months of last year. Cigarette sales went up in five regions: the Basque country (by 6.9 per cent), Navarre (4.9 per cent), Catalonia (3.1 per cent), Castille-La Mancha (1.2 per cent) and Murcia (0.6 per cent). The biggest reductions were in La Rioja (down by 4.9 per cent), followed by Castille-Leon (4.5 per cent), Madrid (3.8 per cent), Cantabria (3.7 per cent), Asturias and Balearics (3.3 per cent each). Catalonia tops the lists for the sale of cigarettes (591 million packets in the first eight months of the year) and for the sale of cigars (157 million units). The most popular brand of cigarettes is Marlboro, which accounted for 17.42 per cent of sales in August, followed by Fortuna (15.39 per cent), Chesterfield (11.18 per cent) and black Ducados (ten per cent).