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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
10:44
Comparing the Effects of Electronic Cigarette Vapor and Cigarette Smoke in a Novel In Vivo Exposure System
Published on: May 24, 2017
Turning off the tap: the real solution to cigarette smuggling
1International Union Against Cancer (UICC/ECL), EU Liaison Office, Brussels, Belgium. joossens@globalink.org
Summary
Tobacco smuggling is driven by industry fraud, not just price differences. Reducing taxes on cigarettes increases consumption and lowers revenue, harming public health.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Economics
- Criminology
Background:
- The tobacco industry claims price differentials drive cigarette smuggling and advocates for tax reduction to curb it.
- This perspective suggests market forces are the primary cause of illicit trade.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the actual causes of tobacco smuggling.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of tax reduction as a solution for cigarette smuggling.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of tobacco industry arguments regarding smuggling.
- Examination of the relationship between tax policies, consumption, and revenue.
- Investigation of fraudulent export practices by tobacco manufacturers.
Main Results:
- Smuggling is more prevalent in lower-tax countries, contradicting industry claims.
- Tax reductions have led to increased tobacco consumption and decreased revenue.
- Large-scale fraud, involving illicit diversion of legally exported cigarettes, is central to smuggling operations.
Conclusions:
- Reducing taxes is not an effective solution for tobacco smuggling and negatively impacts public health.
- Controlling cigarette smuggling requires regulating the tobacco manufacturing industry and its export practices.
- Industry-driven fraud, not market price differences, is the core issue in tobacco smuggling.
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