Cigarette sales up patch sales down

Despite a price rise, ad campaigns and a ban on smoking in enclosed public places, cigarette sales increased last year

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THE NUMBER of cigarettes sold in France has started to grow again, while sales of nicotine replacement treatments in pharmacies has plummeted.

The Observatoire Français des Drogues et des Toxicomanes (OFDT) found in its annual report that tobacco sales rose 2% last year - and cigarette sales in particular grew by 2.6%.

Between 2004 and 2008, the numbers remained relatively stable - despite government campaigns, a 30 centimes price rise last November and a ban on smoking in enclosed public places.

The report said cut-price cross-border cigarette sales - mostly in Belgium and Spain - had contributed to the 2009 increase.

The OFDT also found that sales of nicotine replacement products in pharmacies fell 21.5% in 2009, dropping to their lowest level since 2001.

The government is planning a new anti-smoking campaign in the coming months - including graphic images on cigarette packets showing the damage caused to the body.

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