Some 1.1 billion cigarettes were imported into the country during the five months to August 22, registering a 58% decrease compared with the similar period of last year, Ali Asghar Ramzi, the head of Tobacco Planning and Supervision Center, said.
According to the Health Ministry, Iranians smoke about 55 billion cigarettes annually. The government aims to call a complete halt to cigarette imports and meet the entire domestic demand through local production.
