15 most expensive cigarette brands in the world

What are the 15 most expensive cigarette brands in the world? According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately one billion smokers in the world, 80% of whom live in low- and middle-income countries. Thus, among the 10 countries with the highest percentage of smokers, the top three are North Korea, Greece and Nauru.

Since tobacco kills an estimated 6 million people each year, including more than 600,000 people who die from second-hand smoke, countries around the world are trying to fight the habit with measures such as higher taxes on cigarettes. aimed at raising prices, removing most or all of cigarette brand advertising and warning signs on packages that have grown larger and larger over time.

Nevertheless, despite the encouraging effects of various anti-smoking campaigns and measures, the number of smokers remains high, as cigarettes are not only addictive, but also give people the illusion of another way of life. Young people start smoking because they want to look older among their friends and classmates, while older people (including myself) “say” that they smoke because of the stresses and pressures of life. In this way, smoking is a good method of relieving stress and can help a person feel better and more energetic during difficult times. However, given that the feeling of stress relief when you smoke a puff is actually due to a person getting their ‘dose’, it’s hard to say how much stress relief cigarettes actually provide in any more sense. large.

However, to paraphrase Johnny Quid of “RocknRolla”, cigarettes are a major lie. On the one hand, you have a nice pack with a nice badge that suggests a life of wealth and glamor, while on the other hand, the bold message suggests that the contents of this pack might kill you. Now that some countries ban the presence of almost all brands on packaging, with some governments insisting that packaging must contain crude images of organs affected by smoking, smoking has become less glamorous, but still remains highly addictive. .

Additionally, despite the lack of advertising and branding, many cigarette brands continue to thrive. In turn, this pushed up the shares of many tobacco companies. For example, Reynolds American, Inc. (NYSE: RAI), which owns Camel, Pall Mall and Kent, among other brands, has seen its share price rise 200% over the past five years, while the maker of L&M and Parliament, Altria Group Inc (NYSE: MO)shares jumped 132%; actions of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) and British American Tobacco PLC (ADR) (NYSEMKT: BTI) enjoyed more modest gains of 27% and 30%, respectively.

However, anti-smoking laws make it difficult for companies to gain market share, which is why in recent times there has been some consolidation in the space. In 2015, Reynolds American acquired Lorillard and earlier this year announced a merger with British American Tobacco, which agreed to pay $ 49.4 billion to create the world’s largest publicly traded tobacco company. The deal sparked talks about a combination of Philip Morris International and Altria Group, which could bring the Marlboro brand together under one roof (currently PM markets Marlboro outside of the United States and Altria is responsible for the brand there. inside the country).

Leaving aside the financial aspects of the industry, let’s take a closer look at the 15 most expensive cigarette brands in the world. The brands included in the list are available internationally, although the prices are based on their approximate cost in the United States. Since a significant portion of the price includes excise tax, prices can vary significantly depending on location.