Cigarette sales in the U.S. climbed last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the first annual increase in two decades.
Major manufacturers sold 203.7 billion cigarettes in 2020, up from 202.9 billion the year prior, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s Cigarette Report.
Altria Group Inc., the maker of Marlboros in the U.S., reported sales of smokeable products jumped in the early days of the pandemic as consumers made bulk purchases and negative publicity pushed older smokers back to cigarettes from vaping products. Recent studies have challenged the idea that vaping is less harmful than cigarettes.
There are signs the shift might not last: In the four-week period ending Oct. 9, cigarette volumes fell 9.4% from the same period a year ago, according to Nielsen data.
