Demand on cigarettes has fallen off in Spain

April 4, 2011

According to the data of Spanish Ministry of Finance, quantity of monthly sold cigarette packs has decreased on 32.6 per cent and for the first time it has fallen lower than 200 millions.

From the moment of coming into effect of a new law in Spain that prohibits smoking in public places has passed only two months, however its followers with satisfaction mark first successes.

Such a harsh decrease became unexpected even for National Smoking Control Committee that has, however, explained that this decrease is related not only to smoking ban but also with another increase of taxes on tobacco products. In terms of acute economic crisis that Spanish economy experiences acquisition of cigarettes hits the wallet of common citizens, one in five from which doesn't have work.

Opponents of the new law pay attention that decrease of bought cigarettes quantity is not an evidence of smoking decrease as many people with a view to economy start to smoke pipe tobacco, sales of which have grown on 38 per cent in 2010. Tobacco products manufacturers warn about possible appearance of smuggling that is not subject to necessary control of quality.

As to the anxiety of hotel and bar owners, who have predicted that adoption of new law about smoking will cause loss of 20 thousands of work places, this forecast is not coming true yet: quantity of workers in this sphere during first months after introduction into effect of anti-tobacco law has even grown a little.