Sales of cigarettes rose by 7 per cent to GBP 12.4 billion during lockdown while rolling tobacco sales increased by more than a third, reports Daily Mail.
Despite an estimated one million Britons quitting smoking during the coronavirus pandemic, sales of cigarettes increased by 7.3 per cent to GBP 12.4 billion (USD 17.46 billion) in 2020, while sales of roll-your-own tobacco rose by 36.3 per cent from GBP 3 billion to almost 4 billion (USD 4.22 to 5.63 billion). The increase in sales is attributed to smokers smoking more than usual and others who had previously given up relapsing either due to stress or boredom, the report said.
But while some of the increased spending is due to the government's increased taxes, sales volumes also rose by 3.3 per cent for cigarette packets and 30 per cent for tobacco.