Authorities are cracking down on what has become a massive market for illegal cigarettes in the UK.
Dental professionals spend much of their time encouraging smoking cessation among patients, highlighting the many oral and systemic health benefits. Various government-backed and charity-based initiatives are implemented each year to further discourage people from taking up or continuing the habit. One of these has been a massive increase in tax on cigarettes, which has seen the cost of a pack more than double in 10 years. The aim is to outprice the product and use cost as a way of driving smokers to quit or as a deterrent for young people.
However, such an initiative is limited with the widespread availability of illegal cigarettes across the UK. In a story by BBC News, we learn just how big a problem this underground world really is.
The piece tells of how anyone from barbers, to corner shops and takeaways can have contraband stored under the floorboards. It also alludes to the dangers of illegal products that do not conform to safety standards – suggesting that some may contain the likes of dead flies or asbestos.
This is a growing challenge across Europe, with the UK among the top three regions driving the rise in illicit cigarette consumption. The black market is estimated to have grown by 0.8 billion illegal cigarettes in 2023 alone, surpassed only by the 1.1 billion in Ukraine. The sale of counterfeit products now makes up approximately 26% of total cigarette sales in the UK, totalling 6.billion cigarettes consumed.
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In addition to the health risks that no-regulated products may pose to individuals, this is estimated to have cost the UK £3.9 million in lost tax revenue in 2023. Illicit trade in tobacco is also associated with organised crime, money laundering and even terrorism. The result is that the contraband is commonly associated with the sale of other substances or integrated within a broad network of dangerous gangs, making it even more difficult for law enforcement to maintain control.
Moving forward, there have been calls for the Government to do more to protect the public from potentially dangerous counterfeit cigarettes. There is also a need to further reduce the number of smokers in the UK. Statistics have shown a downward trend since the ‘70s, but with ever fewer people looking for low-cost options, the demand for black market products will decline too.
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