ABU DHABI: The sale of tobacco and related products plummeted 97.2 percent in January 2018 compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi (SCAD).
According to SCAD, the dramatic decrease of tobacco sales is the highest since the adoption of excise tax in October 2018, which includes a 100 percent price increase in tobacco, as well as price hikes on a number of products “that harm public health” such as soft and energy drinks.
The figures show that the emirate’s trade in tobacco and related products stood at AED 2.3 million ($626,209) in January, down from AED 84.5 million ($23 million) during the same month in 2017.
Additionally, tobacco imports were down from AED 55,000 ($14,974) in January 2017 to AED 33,000 ($8,894) in January 2018.
