The Irish Heart Foundation, Irish Cancer Society and ASH Ireland today called on the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights to back a national anti-smuggling strategy to halt the flood of cheap tobacco into Ireland and prevent a rise in smoking prevalence and related deaths.

An estimated 25% of cigarettes sold in Ireland are contraband, leading to increased consumption particularly among younger people  which has spurred on a three-way call for the urgent introduction of increased penalties, additional detection and on-the-spot fines to stamp out tobacco smuggling to protect the nation’s health. The three organisations say failure to do so will be tantamount to letting criminal gangs decide Irish health policy.

According to the charities, the smuggling of tobacco products has led to cheap cigarettes flooding the Irish market which has significant health implications for the population, not least increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and many cancers. The trio believe a three-pronged approach is required urgently to tackle the severe impact of smoking on Ireland’s health through smuggling controls, price increases for tobacco products and smoking cessation programmes.

10-point summary of the joint proposal to stop tobacco smuggling by the Irish Heart Foundation, Irish Cancer Society and ASH Ireland:

1. Devise national anti-smuggling strategy
2. Increased resources for detection and surveillance activities
3. Enforcement of penalties for tobacco smuggling and the illegal selling of tobacco products
4. Introduction of on-the-spot fines for individuals smuggling or selling illegal tobacco products
5. Introduction of penalties directed at tobacco companies whose products are smuggled
6. Increase co-ordination of activities at European level to tackle smuggling
7. Integration of all anti-smuggling initiatives
8. Deliver public awareness campaigns to highlight illicit tobacco, penalties attached and the health consequences of smoking
9. Ensure Ireland’s compliance with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
10. Increased funding for cessation services

Irish Heart Foundation Head of Advocacy Chris Macey said: “Our charities have come together to highlight the urgent need for a national strategy to stop the tobacco smuggling epidemic and help prevent avoidable deaths from tobacco related illness. The tobacco industry has deliberately and falsely blamed smuggling on increases in tobacco tax. But the reality is that smugglers see Ireland as a soft touch. If their activities are allowed to prevent action to reduce tobacco consumption such as through tax hikes, we are effectively allowing them to dictate our health policy.”

Dr Angie Brown, Chairperson of ASH Ireland and consultant cardiologist stressed: “Each year approximately 7,000 people die in this country from tobacco related illness – this is a national scandal. Even worse, this figure is going to rise if our country continues to be flooded with cheap cigarettes. We are deeply concerned that the substantial increase in smuggling will lead to a significant increase in smoking prevalence and addiction among our population and in particular, our young people. Our organisations would like to see tobacco smuggling handled with the same tenacity as drug smuggling.”

At the Joint Oireachtas Committee meeting, the charities referred to the World Bank, WHO and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) which all agree that the main drivers of tobacco smuggling are: the tobacco industry’s own role in facilitating smuggling; unlicensed distribution; lax anti-smuggling laws; weak enforcement; official corruption and the existence of entrenched smuggling networks.

Irish Cancer Society Head of Advocacy Kathleen O’Meara said:  “Ireland is an easy target for tobacco smugglers. Because of our low penalties and low enforcement, the risk involved in smuggling illegal cigarettes into Ireland is low, while the rewards are great. Because the Government is not acting, Ireland is being flooded with illegal cigarettes and the law is being openly flouted.

“For example, up until the beginning of 2010, there was just one mobile container scanner for the whole country while Ireland’s second cutter boat for coastline patrol operations was only acquired last year. Even in terms of the low maximum penalties currently operating under the Finance Act 2005 (on indictment €12,695 and/or 5 years imprisonment), the full extent of these fines is not being enforced by the Irish courts. The biggest fine in the State for tobacco smuggling in the last three years was just €7,500, compared to €807,000 in a single case in Northern Ireland.”

Recent large seizures by the Irish authorities were recognised – notably the seizure of 120 million cigarettes in Greenore, Co Louth in 2009 – but the charities believe that with better equipment and increased manpower the regularity of seizures could be vastly increased. Experiences of other jurisdictions showed a fall in smuggling rates with the introduction of cohesive anti-smuggling initiatives. In the UK in 2000, 1 in 5 cigarettes was smuggled. But after a heavily targeted campaign employing a national network of scanners, 1,000 additional frontline staff, increased penalties and raised public awareness, the illicit cigarette market share in the UK was cut by a third in 2008.

Dr Angie Brown added: “It is imperative that every possible action is taken by government to ensure that this new ‘epidemic’ of tobacco smuggling is dealt with. Smoking related illnesses have a huge impact on health care spending and resources are urgently required to support those who are trying to stop smoking.  The cost to our health service of treating such disease is enormous, at an estimated €1 billion a year – and this cost increases as prevalence increases.”

To bring Ireland in line with the EU average spend on smoking cessation, the Irish Heart Foundation, Irish Cancer Society and ASH are calling for €6million of the revenue collected from tobacco excise to be ring-fenced for smoking cessation programmes. These programmes should include a comprehensive and sustainable anti-smoking education programme targeted at different ages and audiences; a free national cessation service at accessible locations; maintenance of the National Smokers’ Quitline and access to nicotine replacement therapies.

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