MP fights illegal cigarettes trade

Published on 22/11/2012 21:04

HUCKNALL MP Mark Spencer has joined the fight against the illegal tabacco trade.

This week, Conservative Mr Spencer attended the launch of a new report, The Billion Pound Drop, to discuss both the tax revenue lost to the illegal tobacco trade and the health risks the illicit trade poses to consumers.

According to the report, by leading tobacco manufacturer JTI, the East Midlands is a hot spot for counterfeit cigarettes with 22 per cent being smoked avoiding UK tax.

This includes ‘cheap whites’ or counterfeits of well-known brands. The illicit trade in the East Midlands has worsened in the past year, up from 16.5 per cent in 2011.

“Let’s be clear that illegal tobacco is not a ‘soft crime’,” said Mr Spencer. “Typically 85 per cent of the cost of a pack of cigarettes is tax and that’s money being taken from taxpayers by smugglers.

“Illicit cigarettes are also hitting small local retailers hard. There’s an added health risk too: with illegal tobacco you have no idea what you’re smoking and fake cigarettes put consumers at greater risk than real ones.

“My concern is that plain packaging will exacerbate the problem by making it almost impossible for customs and customers to tell the difference between real and fake cigarettes, giving criminals carte blanche to rip off punters and taxpayers alike.

“I want to be clear: I’m a non smoker and I wholeheartedly support the Government’s drive to curb smoking, especially among young people. However I also believe the emphasis must be on education and providing support to quit and I fear the suggestion for plain packaging is a knee jerk reaction which would make criminals’ lives easier and see taxpayers worse off.”

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MP fights illegal cigarettes trade

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