Tackling tobacco smuggling

19 June 2015

From: HM Revenues and Customs

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Case study

In October a gang of four were jailed for a combined 11 years and three months after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs. Officers from HM Revenue and Customs together with officers from Sussex Police and South East Regional Organised Crime Unit raided an illegal tobacco factory in Southampton and seized around three tonnes of hand rolling tobacco. The estimated loss to the Exchequer is around £612,000 in unpaid duty and VAT.

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Factors Affecting Taiwanese Smokers’ Identification of Smuggled Cigarettes

9 June 2015

From: IngentaConnect

Source: American Journal of Health Behavior, Volume 39, Number 3, May 2015, pp. 352-360(9)

Authors: Hsieh, Chi-Jung1; Cheng, Chun-Hao2; Lee, Jie-Min3

Abstract:

Objectives: To analyze whether the perception that smuggled cigarettes are a greater health risk than legal cigarettes affects Taiwanese smokers’ intention to distinguish smuggled cigarettes from legal cigarettes. Methods: The study used the Recursive Bivariate Probit Model to analyze data from a survey conducted in 2013 of 450 smokers of smuggled cigarettes. Results: The study found that when smokers believe they are more likely to get lung cancer from consuming smuggled cigarettes than they are from consuming legal cigarettes, the probability of the intention to identify smuggled cigarettes increased by 42.46%. Conclusions: The government should strengthen educational policies and programs that teach consumers about the health risks of smoking in general and the even greater health risks of smoking smuggled cigarettes in particular.

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