Cigarette sales in Germany declined 2.5 per cent in 2006 to 93 billion sticks, but sales of cigars and cigarillos were up 37.7 per cent to to 5.6 million sticks, the Federal Statistics Office said.

Sales of pipe tobacco rose 14.7 per cent to 922 tons, the statistics office added.
The government earned a total of 23.1 billion euros (30 billion dollars) in taxes from tobacco products last year, 859 million euros or 3.6 per cent less than 2005. (pi)