The cabinet may take control of the retail of cigarettes and similar products, restricting their sale to small family-run tobacconist stores in order to reduce smoking and create jobs, Fidesz caucus leader János Lázár told reporters on Monday.
He said the issue is complex but is also urgent as more young people are taking up smoking. Minors are often able to buy cigarettes online, he said, adding that this is more common at multinational retail chains.
Lázár said the government wants to follow the Austrian model whereby only tobacconist stores would be authorised to sell tobacco products.
Retail tobacco trade could become a state monopoly from 2013, according to a copy of a Fidesz presentation obtained by Magyar Nemzet. The proposal has not yet been submitted to Parliament.
Lázár said Hungarians spend an estimated Ft 400 billion annually on smoking.
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