Cigarette sales back on the rise despite ban

IRISH people are buying more cigarettes, despite the country having the toughest anti-smoking measures in Europe, it emerged yesterday.

The scientific journal Tobacco Control yesterday suggested Ireland was the best of 30 European countries at discouraging tobacco use. The smoking ban was singled out for praise.

But, according to the latest edition of the Retail News grocery magazine, sales of cigarettes last year rose by 1.8% to €1.8 billion after a 11.3% slump in 2004 when the ban came in.