Cigarette sales have dropped dramatically in Spain during the past five years, according to an El Pais story quoting Finance Ministry and cigarette industry figures. More than 90 billion cigarettes were sold legally in Spain half a decade ago, but last year those sales were down to 47.5 billion, a drop of 47 percent.
The trend was attributed to tougher anti-smoking legislation, tax hikes and a loss of consumer purchasing power as a result of the economic crisis.
The downturn in sales of licit products has led to a spike in tobacco smuggling and a search by consumers for cheaper alternatives, such as roll-your-own cigarettes and pipe tobacco.