Illegal cigarettes are costing us jobs

THE illegal trade in cigarettes and tobacco is making a

“laughing stock

? of retailers and putting jobs at risk, according to one Southside shop owner.

Cabinteely retailer, Bobby O’Reilly, says the illegal trade is flourishing in the area, with cigarettes being sold on the street, in pubs and even door to door.

“It’s making it very easy for kids to get their hands on cigarettes,

? O’Reilly says.

“The people selling cigarettes illegally couldn’t care less what age their customers are so long as they have the money to pay for them.

“And because they are selling them for around

?¬4 a pack, they are making them far more accessible to children.

?

The illegal trade is also taking a serious toll on his business according to O’Reilly:

“In the past my tobacco sales would have been quite a bit higher than they are now,

? he says.

“I realise that there are people quitting smoking, but not at the rates I’m seeing in my sales. I have no doubt that a lot of people have stopped coming into my shop because they can get their cigarettes cheaper from the guys selling them illegally.

“Obviously, if they’re not coming into my shop then there’s no chance of them picking up anything else, even if it’s only a paper, some milk or a snack.

“All of these purchases add up and if they’re not there then it’s a serious issue for my business. There’s no doubt that this is costing retail jobs and will continue to do so unless something is done about it.

?

According to new research for leading tobacco company, JTI Ireland, almost 24 per cent of tobacco in nearby Dun Laoghaire avoids Irish tax.

The survey, based on collections of empty packs, assesses the level of illegal and counterfeit tobacco smuggled from other countries, as well as legitimate brands from outside Ireland being consumed here.

A JTI spokesman said the survey’s findings

“represent significant losses to retailers and the Exchequer and show the continued strong demand for cut-price smuggled cigarettes in Ireland

?.

“Retailers comply with every regulation, but are under huge pressure from the illegal traders who brazenly go about their business,

? the spokesman continued.

“The current penalties for involvement in the illegal tobacco trade are very lenient and don’t appear to be acting as a deterrent.

?

The Government plans to introduce plain packaging for tobacco but Bobby O’Reilly believes this will exacerbate the problem in a number of ways.

“If it goes ahead, retailers like myself will be forced to stock plain packs in our shops, but the guys selling illegally will still be able to offer branded packs that have been smuggled in from abroad,

? he says.

“And when you think that they’re selling them for around

?¬4 a pack, they have a massive advantage over retailers.

?

“Plain packaging would also make it far easier to copy packs,

? he continues.

“It provides a template for criminals to copy so they would only need to do it once because the boxes will be identical for every brand. And you just don’t know what’s in these fakes.

“We all know that cigarettes can cause health problems, but we have absolutely no way of knowing what’s going in to the illegal ones.

?

“I understand the Government wants to stop children taking up smoking, and while I fully agree with and support this, plain packaging is not the way to do it.
O’Reilly feels that the courts need to get tough on tobacco smugglers.

“I know that in Northern Ireland the authorities can appeal when sentences are too lenient, and I think we need the same here at the very least,

? he says.

“The courts need to make an example that sends a clear message that selling illegal tobacco will not be tolerated, because at the moment there is no real deterrent.

“Placing more regulations on retailers will only make our jobs harder, but does nothing to tackle the illegal trade.

?