Germans are spending less on cigarettes but more on cigars as the country wrestles with the idea of introducing a ban on smoking in public places.

Figures released by the federal statistics office on Wednesday showed sales of tobacco products in the third quarter of 2006 declined 10.1 per cent from a year ago to Euro 5.9 billion (US$ 7.4 billion).
The number of cigarettes sold dropped 3.6 per cent to 24.7 billion, while demand for cigars and cigarillos soared 43.4 per cent to 1.6 billion, the figures showed.
Germany, long considered a smokers' paradise, is currently debating whether to ban lighting up in public buildings, theatres, cinemas and public transport. A wider-reaching plan for a general ban on smoking at the workplace, including bars and restaurants, has run into opposition from the justice ministry. (pi)