THE tobacco industry, and those that lobby on its behalf, have responded to campaigning for plain packaging for all tobacco products with scaremongering about counterfeiters and the illegal trade ("Non-branded tobacco warning", The Herald, August 22).
The Tobacco Retailers Association is funded by the Tobacco Manufacturer's Association whose members include Imperial Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International and British American Tobacco. It operates as the industry's mouthpiece.
The reality is that existing packs are very easily copied by smugglers. Standardised packs will still carry picture health warnings, as well as hidden security markings to show they are being legally traded, and will be no easier to counterfeit. Professionals working in Trading Standards and Customs and Revenue do not endorse tobacco industry concerns about standardised packaging increasing illicit sales. The argument is a red herring, one that has been used against just about any effective health measure that might impact on future tobacco industry profits.
The UK trade in illegal tobacco has actually dropped over the past decade due to strategic enforcement and supportive legislation. In Scotland, we have strong penalties for unregistered tobacco trading – up to a £20,000 fine or six months in jail.
South Ayrshire Council is to be applauded for initiating court action that led to a fine and for issuing the first Tobacco Retail Banning Order against a man caught selling illegal tobacco. Enforcement is the key to tackling the illicit trade, and South Ayrshire's decisive action will do more to discourage counterfeiters than any tobacco industry press release.
Sheila Duffy,
Chief executive, ASH Scotland,
8 Frederick Street, Edinburgh.
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