POPE Francis has ordered a ban on the sale of cigarettes in the Vatican from next year.
Vatican spokesman Greg Burke announced the move yesterday, citing World Health Organisation figures which show smoking causes more than seven million deaths worldwide every year.
"The motive is very simple: the Holy See cannot be cooperating with a practice that is clearly harming the health of people," Mr Burke said.
He cited World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics that smoking causes more than seven million deaths worldwide every year.
Cigarettes have been sold at a discounted price to Vatican employees and pensioners.
Some Vatican employees buy cigarettes for their friends because they are cheaper than in Italy, where they are taxed heavily.
The sale of cigarettes in the tiny city-state has been a source of revenue for the Holy See.
However Mr Burke said "no profit can be legitimate if it is costing people their lives".
He said large cigars would continue to be sold in Vatican City because the smoke is not inhaled.
