Tehran, Iran, May 21
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Iran has banned 18 brands of cigarette lights for the current fiscal year (to end March 20), IRIB news agency reported May 21.
The banned brands are Marlboro, Royal Five, Royal, Mikado, Kingdom, Sir, Walden, Miami, SX, Bon, Eros, Afire, Senator, Lamborghini, Morad, and Emerald.
Ali Asqar Ramzi, head of Tobacco Planning and Monitoring Center, said the banned brands in the Iranian market are in fact replicas made in neighboring countries with tobacco containing unhealthy amounts of pesticide.
Iran produced 45 billion cigarette lights during the last Iranian fiscal year (ended March 20), indicating an increase of 15 billion year on year. Iran plans to increase the figure to 50 billion during the current fiscal year. Domestic output met 82 percent of Iran’s cigarette consumption during the last fiscal year.
The Islamic Republic imported 4 billion cigarettes in the last fiscal year, indicating a huge fall by 76 percent compared to the preceding year.
Also about 6 billion cigarettes were smuggled into the country during the 12-month period, which indicated a fall by 30 percent year-on-year.
About 55 billion cigarette lights are smoked in Iran annually.
