The number of cigarettes released in the domestic market dropped 44.2 percent following price increases in January, data showed Tuesday.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said 519 million packs were released in the first quarter of 2015, a 44.2 percent decrease from last year and a 48.7 percent decrease compared to the average sale in the past five years.

Tobacco companies must report the number of cigarettes they release to the ministries of health and finance, as well as to local governments.

In the first quarter, the number of participants in public health clinics who quit smoking was 2.7 times higher than in the same period last year.