Tobacco.org

• French border tobacconists fuming at tax 

About 100 French tobacconists, furious about a steep rise in taxes on tobacco, on Sunday blocked the border between France and the tiny principality of Andorra, where smokers fill up on duty-free goods.

"We are in a tragic situation. Some of us have lost 30 to 40 percent of sales since the last tax increase. If we lose another 20 percent, then we're finished," said Rene Le Pape, chairman of France's tobacconists' union.

The tobacconists criticised French President Jacques Chirac for authorising the tax hikes

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