WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Reuters) - A cigarette smoked in the dying seconds before New Zealand's laws against smoking came into effect last year is set to fetch more than NZ$7,500 (44600 yuan) in an internet auction.

　　The butt, witnessed as smoked at 11:59 p.m. on December 9 by the owners of an Auckland bar, has exceeded its NZ$1 reserve price by NZ$7,574 on the New Zealand-based internet web auction site TradeMe (www.trademe.co.nz). It costs about NZ$10 (595 yuan) to buy a packet of cigarettes in New Zealand.

　　On December 10, New Zealand banned smoking in most indoor venues, sparking complaints from smokers and bar and caféowners.