Consumer taxes to effect tobacco products

The outgoing Social Democratic cabinet passed an amendment to consumer tax rates on Wednesday. Tobacco products will be affected, with the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes costing about 15 crowns more as of 1 January 2007. The new law must still be passed by the lower house and the Senate, and signed by the President in order to become effective. Despite the rising costs of tobacco products in the Czech Republic, sales are not dropping; in 2004 a total of 22.7 million cigarette packets were sold, and in 2005 that number rose to 23.5 million.