Pope ban the sell of cigarette in Vatican city.

Pope Francis has announced in a statement on November 9, 2017, that starting next year, employees and citizens of Vatican City will no longer be allowed to purchase cigarettes.

Discounted cigarettes have been sold through a duty-free shop for Vatican employees and citizens of Vatican City, but Pope Francis is outlawing it to try to keep people healthy. “The reason is very simple: the Holy See cannot contribute to an activity that clearly damages the health of people,” the statement said.

Many friends and family members of those who were able to buy the cigarettes ask to get the cheaper ones because there is a 22-percent VAT sales tax in Italy on them.

According to the BBC, the sales are estimated to bring in millions of euros to the city each year. “It comes as a bit of a sacrifice for the Holy See, this was a source of revenue, but it’s obviously much more important to do what is right,” Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said.

Pope Francis is the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church.

On Thursday, November 9, 2017, a statement was released that cigarettes would no longer be sold in the Vatican starting in 2018.

Within the Vatican, employees and pensioners can buy cigarettes and alcohol at a reduced price.

“The Holy Father has decided that the Vatican will cease to sell cigarettes to employees as of 2018,” the Vatican said in a statement on Thursday.

Despite being a source of profit, the Pope wants to everyone to live a healthy life.