Cigarette volume sales free falling in Japan

Cigarette sales in Japan during the 2014 fiscal year that ended on March 31 dropped to their lowest level since such statistics were first compiled for fiscal 1990, according to a story in The Japan News citing an industry group.

The Tobacco Institute of Japan was quoted as saying that sales fell by nine percent to 179.3 billion between fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2014.

The decrease was in part a continuation of a long-term decline in smoking rates.

But it was exacerbated by consumer stockpiling ahead of a consumption tax hike in April last year.