smuggled tobacco seizures

Date: 27 July 2010

COULD OUR SEIZURES OF SMUGGLED CIGARETTES BE AN INDICATION OF FAILURE, NOT SUCCESS?

Our Customs Officials and Garda Siochana are to be complemented on the recent high profile seizures of smuggled tobacco. It is evident that we now have a cigarette smuggling problem, which has reached epidemic proportions and which must be tackled by Government.


Dr. Angie Brown of ASH Ireland said today, "Our Gardai and Customs are doing an excellent job in endeavouring to tackle our current smuggled tobacco epidemic. The levels of illegal tobacco products being seized recently does however raise another issue - are we seizing more smuggled cigarettes because there is so much more of them available in this jurisdiction? Certainly in regard to drugs there is a view that the amounts seized in a community is as much an indication of availability as it is of success in regard to seizures. It is most likely that the same principle applies to tobacco"


Recently ASH Ireland again wrote to all members of the Cabinet outlining its serious concerns at the levels of illegal and cheap tobacco available for sale in this country. The availability of cheap cigarettes is a major obstacle to any progress in the fight against nicotine addiction - one that we are now losing; with smoking prevalence back up to 29%. If smoking prevalence increases this will result in additional people unnecessarily dying prematurely from tobacco related disease in the years ahead.


It is imperative that the Government steps up the plate on the smuggling issue. Despite positive indications from Minister Lenihan late last year, the battle is being lost in the fight against smuggled tobacco. This is totally unacceptable when we consider the resultant loss of life and the increased health expenditure outcomes in the years ahead.



Ends



For contact/interview:




ASH Ireland - 01-2310521




Young Comunications , 087-2471520