The £211million cost of illegal tobacco for South West shops
THE trade in illegal tobacco costs South West retailers £211million a year, according to new figures.
In Cornwall alone 15 per cent of smokers use illegal tobacco.
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The £211million cost of illegal tobacco for South West shops
A new campaign is being launched today by Smokefree South West to tackle the illegal tobacco trade in the South West.
The campaign involves a wide range of partners, including HM Revenue and Customs, Trading Standards, the police, Crimestoppers and other enforcement partners, primary care trusts and local authorities.
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Smokefree Southwest's director, Fiona Andrews, said: "Significant progress has been made since February 2011 when we first launched the campaign to tackle the problem of illegal tobacco across the South West.
"The illegal tobacco market in the UK has halved in the last decade but still poses a real and present threat to children and local communities.
"Cigarettes and pouches of hand-rolling tobacco are offered to our children at pocket money prices making it cheap and all too easy for our children to smoke and become addicted.
"The only people who benefit from this trade are the criminals who don't care about what is in the packets they sell.
"Since illegal tobacco remains part of the range of smuggled and contraband goods traded by criminal gangs it is vital that steady, sustained pressure continues to be applied."
Elizabeth Kirk, senior trading standards officer with Cornwall Council, said: "Cornwall Trading Standards is committed to disrupting the supply of illegal tobacco. Local businesses should be aware that if illegal tobacco is being sold on their premises they are liable to a range of fines that could strip them of their livelihood."
Bob Gaiger, South West spokesman for HM Revenue and Customs, said: "Illegal tobacco is often the first stage in a chain of illegal trades that fund criminality.
"Together, we are focused on breaking the hold these criminal gangs have on local communities across the South West."
Anyone wishing to report the selling of illegal tobacco can contact Trading Standards anonymously at www.stop-illegal-tobacco.co.uk or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
For more information visit www.stop-illegal-tobacco.co.uk
7 Comments
by gedonyajanner
Monday, February 25 2013, 9:09PM
“This makes me laugh. Criminal gangs aside, the government supposedly want all smokers to quit. If over the next few years everyone stopped smoking the void left by the lack of tax revenue would roll into the billions. What happens then? where does that extra money that goes into the governments coffers from cigs come from? Yes maybe over a few generations the strain on the NHS from smoking would reduce the financial burden but in reality the government can't afford to lose this smokers income.”
by jackplane
Monday, February 25 2013, 8:44PM
“the problem is tax same as petrol trouble is you cant get petrol as easy as fags pity ,this goverment r taxing this country to death”
by notolisbon
Monday, February 25 2013, 5:58PM
“Since when have unelected and unaccountable organisations like Smokefree Southwest had any say in tobacco smuggling.
I see the organisation has been set up by 14 "Primary Care Trusts" - is this where our NHS budget is going?
NHS bodies should look after the sick, not pursue tobacco smugglers - leave that to the police.
This country becomes spookier by the day!”
by bracken27
Monday, February 25 2013, 2:00PM
“I don't know how they can say it cost the retailers thousands of pounds,people obviously can't afford their fags anyway. (with such heavy duty on them)so regardless if they smoke illegal tobacco
they still wouldn't make that money in the shops.Because no one can afford them .
Rather than put the duty down,and let the customer decide weather they want to smoke,or not,they would rather spend a higher amount employing custom officials.It doesn't make any sense.
Crazey country init.?”
by suffolkpunch
Monday, February 25 2013, 12:28PM
“If it wasn't for the excessive amount of tax on tobacco products there wouldn't be so many illegal tobacco products on our streets. A cut in duty would see an increase in the takings of UK shops and also in revenue collected by the Government. A cut in duty would also hurt criminal gangs and terrorists groups.”
by Foldart
Monday, February 25 2013, 9:17AM
“I wonder where this figure was dreamed up?”
by Nevman
Monday, February 25 2013, 8:23AM
“One in the eye for the health fascists who scorn predictions of an increase in criminal activity following the introduction of plain packaging! The gangs already have the framework in place.”