Health
“The Holy Father has decided that the Vatican will ban the sale of cigarettes to its employees from 2018”. The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Greg Burke, said this this morning as he took questions from the press about the Pope’s decision to discontinue the sale of cigarettes to Vatican employees. “The reason – Burke said – is very simple: the Holy See cannot contribute to a business that is clearly detrimental to public health. According to the World Health Organization, smoking causes more than seven million deaths worldwide every year. Although the cigarettes sold to Vatican employees and pensioners at a discounted price are a source of income for the Holy See, no profit can be legitimate if it puts people’s lives at risk”.
