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Illegal cigarette consumption rose by almost a third in Ireland last year

The county that saw the greatest use of illegal cigarettes was Waterford, researchers said.

ILLEGAL CIGARETTE CONSUMPTION rose in Ireland in 2012, according to new figures.

The latest figures from MS Intelligence show that the level of non Irish duty paid (NIDP) cigarettes in Ireland has risen to 28.2 per cent in 2012, which makes it the second biggest tobacco supplier in the country.

Research

The research was carried out by collecting empty packs from 22 towns and cities across the country. The researchers say their findings indicate a large increase since 2011, when NIDP was measured at 24.5 per cent in Ireland.

A spokesperson for the Irish Tobacco Manufacturers Advisory Committee described Ireland as “a haven for international crime syndicates who can operate here within the illegal tobacco market on the premise it is low risk, with paltry fines, and high reward, with gangs making over €3 million a week in Ireland”.

They claimed:

Since this has become a major problem the Government has done nothing to try and reverse this NIDP figure, which would see hundreds of millions flow back into the Irish economy and the retail sector.

Where was the highest incidence of NIDP cigarettes in Ireland measured? In Waterford, which has an average level of 33.3 per cent of cigarettes being purchased from the black market.

But despite the high level in Waterford, there were only three convictions in 2012 related to the illegal tobacco trade.

  • The second highest incidence was recorded in Navan, which had an NIDP of 31.7 per cent
  • Limerick’s level was 31.4 per cent
  • Dublin was fourth highest at 30.2 per cent
  • Cork was 29.3 per cent
  • Letterkenny was 29.5 per cent
  • Bray was 30.2 per cent

“There is no great surprise in these figures,” said the spokesperson. We felt that given the large increase that was put on legitimate cigarettes in December 2011, there would be an upsurge in the illegal market and that is exactly what has happened.”

The shocking reality is that one third of tobacco consumed in Ireland in 2012 completely avoided excise and VAT.

They added that they believed new EU rules on tobacco will push this figure even higher. According to ITMAC, 84 per cent of consumers say they will purchase tobacco products from alternative sources if they become unavailable through legitimate Irish retailers.

This will increase black market sales and decrease legitimate Irish business, simple as that.

Read: New EU law will require graphic images on cigarette packaging>

Read: Government losing €1.5 million per day to illegal tobacco market>

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38 Comments
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    Mute Ian Conway
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    Feb 25th 2013, 7:36 AM

    I’m happy to say I’m off them two weeks tomorrow. Twenty years I smoked and ill only be 37 next month. It can be done people. We don’t need this crap in our bodies. I would encourage all smokers to take this week to seriously think about what you are doing to yourself and GIVE THEM UP. Oh and to the woman I saw in airside retail park yesterday smoking in your car with two young kids in the back. Seriously? Who does that to their kids.

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    Mute Daragh Treacly
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    Feb 25th 2013, 7:44 AM

    Well done Ian. I am an ex-smoker myself. The best advice i got when i was trying to quit was that the cravings only last 5 mins (until the next craving) – made it easier knowing this…..

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    Mute Ian Conway
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    Feb 25th 2013, 7:49 AM

    Ha ha I was told twenty seconds so I’m sticking with that. But seriously thanks for the words of encouragement they are greatly appreciated.

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    Mute Ray Walsh
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    Feb 25th 2013, 8:22 AM

    Well done, giving up the cigs isn’t easy, so well done.

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    Mute Cannabis Freedom
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    Feb 25th 2013, 9:49 AM

    Well done Ian, just remember, you’re not actually “giving anything up”, you’re quitting smoking, your health will improve, you’ll feel much better, you’ll have more money and you won’t be a slave to nicotine anymore, it’s all positive benefits, so don’t think of it as giving something up, that in itself is an illusion that often makes people start smoking again, thinking they’re missing out on something. You’re now a non smoker, enjoy the freedom it brings!

    21
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    Mute Catriona
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    Feb 25th 2013, 10:09 AM

    The Allen Carr method worked for me too! Off them one month on Wednesday. I’m like a new woman!

    11
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    Mute Randy Fisher
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    Feb 25th 2013, 6:37 AM

    That is it, I buying weed no more cigs.

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    Mute Liz O'Neill
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    Feb 25th 2013, 7:24 AM

    Well at least they don’t contain horsemeat…..

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    Mute Alan Burke
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    Feb 25th 2013, 8:28 AM

    Hahahahaha that was very funny

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    Mute Terry Morgan
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    Feb 25th 2013, 7:34 AM

    The cops a doing a great job of stopping people selling them openly on Moore Street….. said no one ever.

    45
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    Mute Scarr
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    Feb 25th 2013, 7:59 AM

    To be fair – what’s the point in stopping someone selling cigs – the amount of forms I’d say that’s required to process the crime with the result being the case thrown out by the judge. It needs to be stopped at source.

    16
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    Mute Dodge Challenger
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    Feb 25th 2013, 8:26 AM

    I’m not a cigarette smoker and I’d never encourage it but who’d blame someone for buying illegal fags? I mean if you go into a shop to buy them, most of the money you’re spending is due to taxation.

    41
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    Mute Arbitrasure
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    Feb 25th 2013, 7:12 AM

    There are significant health risks associated with illegal cigarettes. The tobacco companies are very concerned about their customer’s wellbeing.

    After all the trouble they go to to get people hooked, they need their addicts to live as long as possible on THEIR product.

    37
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    Mute rodrigo detriano
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    Feb 25th 2013, 7:21 AM

    I can’t understand why we don’t just ban smoking completely. In 6 months everyone will have forgotten all about them. The fact that almost a third of cigarettes smoked here are illegal only makes a stronger case for a compete ban. Just look at the money the country would save in the long term. Then just imagine the worldwide recognition Ireland would receive for making such a courageous decision.

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    Mute Scarr
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    Feb 25th 2013, 7:56 AM

    @rodrigo – I suppose. it’s worked for cocaine etc

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    Mute Tomy Iona
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    Feb 25th 2013, 9:12 AM

    They should also fit gps units and limiters in everyone’s cars and end speeding….

    26
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    Mute Caoimhe Clery
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    Feb 25th 2013, 9:46 AM

    Great idea,prohibition really worked in the states.

    20
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    Mute Tomy Iona
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    Feb 25th 2013, 12:01 PM

    Once they get speeding sorted they should definitely start fitting the trackers in people

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    Mute Damien Knox
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    Feb 25th 2013, 12:05 PM

    rodrigo, don’t forget about all the money the country will loose through sales of tobacco.

    Not to mention that once you ban smoking, black market sale will rocket.

    And then what do you do? Put camera’s everywhere to see who is smoking? Get people to inform on people smoking?

    7
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    Mute James Connolly
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    Feb 25th 2013, 6:53 AM

    …And still people will claim smokers pay for their healthcare… Can we please do away with this myth????

    36
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    Mute Tomy Iona
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    Feb 25th 2013, 9:17 AM

    Can we do away of the myth of dubiously quoted numbers that are used to attack smokers regularly on health cost grounds also?

    I’ve never met a smoker who hasn’t tried to give up, or won’t try again to give up. Yet the so many insist on creating a weak economic argument as the reason they should quit. If smokers weren’t fed so much BS then they might find it more difficult to be glib about real points.

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    Mute Paul Wallace
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    Feb 25th 2013, 7:42 AM

    Just go down to Henry street and streets near iliac shopping centre on a Saturday…loads of people selling fags

    33
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    Mute Good
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    Feb 25th 2013, 8:30 AM

    It is interesting that no one seems to point out the obvious. Thanks to the greedy government and the constant hikes in price of smokes it is unsustainable to buy legal cigarettes here in Ireland. The country with most expensive cigarettes in EU has the highest consumption of illegal smokes. WOW, what a surprise…. I buy locally, support irish small businesses and pay my taxes, but I will go to great lenghts (out of principle) to NOT pay almost €10 for a pack if smokes. And why? So we can use the money to bail out greedy bond holders gambling with our future. And by the way, the old ‘smokers cost more money and hike up the price of insurance’ crap doesn’t fly anymore. If you do a bit of reseaech you’ll find out it’s all just another spin to justify price hikes. The government would like us to treat cigarettes as a luxury item.

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    Mute Liz O'Neill
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    Feb 25th 2013, 2:23 PM

    Spot on ‘Good’. And another hypocrisy is the constant barrage of health advice (don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t eat fatty food etc etc) while we all know that if we do live to a ripe old age there won’t be pensions to sustain us,nor adequate health and home care. The

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    Mute Cpm
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    Feb 25th 2013, 8:52 AM

    … Waiting for the inevitable press release from the Irish Cancer Society, calling on the government to increase cigarette prices to address this issue.

    And no, I don’t smoke

    21
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    Mute Max Power
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    Feb 25th 2013, 11:03 AM

    I don’t condone illegal cigarette purchasing but its hardly a surprise when €5-6 euros per box goes to government on tax. I don’t have the current exact figures with me but its a big market for the criminal gangs out there. Government know smoking isn’t going anywhere and it’s a nice taxable drug so why change?

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    Mute Laura Purcell
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    Feb 25th 2013, 7:37 AM

    while we do have an illegal cigarette trade here, they are assuming that the number is that high by counting the cigarette packets but nearly everyone i kmow will buy their legal level or perhaps slightly over when out foreign, if they dont smoke, they give him as gifts to ppl. Also i dont understand how thet can say that foreign cigs are more dangerous? How is that?

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    Mute Scarr
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    Feb 25th 2013, 8:00 AM

    It depends on the origin. Smokes in different countries will have different levels of tar, nicotine and cyanide.

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    Mute Arbitrasure
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    Feb 25th 2013, 8:10 AM

    The illegal import of foreign cigarettes worries Big Tobacco because there is a risk their customers will try alternative brands.

    I don’t think the cancer you get from foreign illegal cigarettes is even more cancery. Nor will you be even deader when they kill you.

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    Mute David Conroy
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    Feb 25th 2013, 8:43 AM

    If we do not know what exactly is in our food chain we can only guess the horrors that might be contained in illegal cigarettes. Maybe it’s natures way of ensuring that only the smart people live long enough to pass on their genes !

    5
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    Mute Charles Cunningham
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    Feb 25th 2013, 9:43 AM

    When they say “illegal” does this include cigarettes purchased and imported legally by people when they travel abroad ( allowance is 800 cigs per person travelling), I’m a smoker and I spend most of the year somewhere in Europe, so am I part of these criminal gangs because I bring my allowance back with me each time?

    11
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    Mute Catherine Crotty Brett
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    Feb 25th 2013, 10:49 AM

    Everyone is entitled to smoke if they want. I don’t like cigarettes i gave them up 5 years ago.

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    Mute Tom Newnewman
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    Feb 25th 2013, 8:25 AM

    Triageing smokers and other self neglecting substance abusers to the end of healthcare queues is done in other countries. That gives a real message

    8
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    Mute Good
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    Feb 25th 2013, 8:35 AM

    Feeling a bit superior today,aren’t we?

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    Mute Tomy Iona
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    Feb 25th 2013, 9:20 AM

    It’s also ignoring the fact that smoking levels are higher in certain sectors of society and so does not acknowledge a lot of complex areas that the intention was designed for.

    So the message is different from it’s intentions – besides we already have 6/7 hour waiting lists in A&E depts so what’s another few hours?

    8
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    Mute MISTER E
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    Feb 25th 2013, 10:03 AM

    If we banned nicotine who would both smoking , any way it seems an easy way of side stepping big tobacco company.3 weeks off them tomorrow but the first four days were torture all because of that sneaky added ingredient nicotine

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    Mute Howard Cooley
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    Feb 25th 2013, 10:52 AM

    Gizza a fag

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    Mute Graham Gallagher
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    Feb 26th 2013, 4:16 AM

    Is everybody smoking rolly’s now…any tips?

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