The illegal cigarettes trade in the UK signals a deeper problem
Explore the surge in the illegal cigarette trade. Unearth the complex web linking illicit businesses, organised crime, and people’s trust in the government. It’s time to take action.
This piece delves into the increasing issue of illegal cigarettes flooding the UK high streets.
Investigation by the BBC reveals widespread sale of counterfeit and smuggled tobacco in mini marts and shops – an alarming trend seen across Britain.
An illegal cigarettes are often termed as the ‘golden thread’ underscoring serious organised crime. Connections to human trafficking and illegal immigration have been observed, indicating broader societal concerns linked to this illegal trade.
While authorities are taking steps to curb this illicit business, it’s evident their efforts haven’t made a significant dent.
An example of this is from Hull, where officials estimate that around £20,000 worth of illegal cigarettes seized points to a crime that costs the country £2.2 billion in lost revenue annually. Despite repeat raids and seizures, the sale of illegal cigarettes continues unabated.
The cheap production of these counterfeit cigarettes, which often lack safety measures, combined with high excise taxes on legal tobacco in the UK, makes these cigarettes an attractive purchase for consumers.
What’s more, fines and penalties are often far less than potential profits, providing insufficient deterrent for criminals perpetuating this issue.
Authorities, including professor Georgios Antonopoulos, criminologist at Northumbria University Newcastle, argue that the law enforcement machinery is chronically underfunded, and more resources are needed to turn the tide against the illegal trade in tobacco. Current anti-social behaviour laws can briefly shut down shops, but evidence suggests criminals simply reopen nearby.
Professor Emmeline Taylor points to the interconnected nature of the issue. In her view, the same crime networks also deal in firearms, drugs, people trafficking, and illegal immigration. At the same time, this crime wave has eroded public trust in the government and the police, with views of declining high streets seen as a symbol of a failing system.
Comment by Allen Carr’s Easyway
The rising trade in illegal cigarettes is a complex issue, intertwined with a wider spectrum of societal ills.
At Allen Carr’s Easyway, we have always supported initiatives that aim to promote health, discourage smoking and help those caught in the trap.
The human cost is tremendous, with illicit cigarettes linked to organised crime, detrimental health impacts not least due to their poor manufacture often lacking the safety measures that should be present.
The good news is that there is a drug free and easy way to stop smoking which has no ongoing costs so you save as soon as you attend a stop smoking seminar or watch our stop smoking online video programme.
