The cost of smoking is to increase in Germany from next year, after the upper house of parliament agreed Friday to raise tobacco taxes, reported dpa .
The incremental increases will begin in May 2011 and push the average cost of leading brands' 19-cigarette packs over 5 euros (6.6 dollars) by the year 2015.
The tax increase, between 0.04 to 0.08 cents annually per pack over the next 5 years, is aimed at compensating financial losses generated by tax relief measures for industries with high energy consumption.
The greatest increases in tobacco tax are to hit loose tobacco, which will increase annually by 0.12 to 0.14 cents for a 40-gramme pack.
Cigarillos, cigars and pipe tobacco will also be hit by the increase.