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Two brothers and a woman were convicted on Friday 3 July 2020, at Belfast Crown Court of tax evasion after the seizure of more than 40,000 illicit cigarettes. The haul was uncovered in July 2017, along with 15kg of hand-rolling tobacco and over £15,000 in cash, during searches in east Belfast. It followed an investigation by the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF).
All three pleaded guilty to tax evasion in March 2020 and the brothers also pleaded guilty to possession of criminal property and money laundering charges. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had searched their homes along with retail premises on Belfast's Woodstock Road, seizing the cash and illicit tobacco as part of the PCTF investigation.
The brothers, were each sentenced to 18 months, suspended for three years, while Sarah Rice, was sentenced to 12 months, suspended for three years.
Source: Belfast Telegraph, 4 July 2020
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The German government has announced it would limit the outdoor advertising of tobacco products from January 2022 after years of negotiations in the country's governing coalition. Germany is the only European Union country that still allows companies to advertise tobacco products on street posters and in cinemas.
The new law will restrict advertising in cinemas to films aimed at adults, and advertisement of tobacco products will only be allowed in tobacco shops. Distribution of free tobacco samples will also be prohibited outside of specialist stores.
The restrictions on outdoor advertising will come in stages. Restrictions will apply from January 1, 2022, for tobacco products, from January 1, 2023, for heated tobacco products and from January 1, 2024, for e-cigarettes. The new regulation for advertising of tobacco products in cinemas will come into force at the turn of the year.
The German Children's Fund charity (Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk) said the ban did not go far enough. The Berlin-based charity called for a ban on the promotion of cigarettes by advertising ambassadors as well as banning tobacco manufacturers from sponsoring events.
Holger Hofmann, Director of the Charity, said: "The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child must also be consistently enforced in the area of tobacco advertising." He added that the tobacco industry must be regulated to such an extent that the welfare and rights of a child are not compromised.
Source: DW. Com, 3 July 2020
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The Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA) launched an appeal on Friday 3 July 2020, after its attempts to get the cigarette ban overturned was turned down by the North Gauteng High Court on 26 June.
In a ruling handed down on 26 June, the Gauteng High Court said that FITA’s argument that tobacco products be considered ‘necessary’ due to the negative effects the ban was having on those dependent on the substance was without merit.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has remained firm in her decision to uphold the ban, reiterating that smoking could result in more severe COVID-19 symptoms. She said the tobacco-related regulation imposed by the National Command Council was put in place to prevent a possible strain on public health, with South Africa still anticipating a period of peaking COVID-19 infections in the coming weeks.
“Prohibiting the sale of tobacco products during lockdown serves to reduce these risks, not only in respect of smokers themselves but also those who would otherwise be exposed to second-hand smoke under lockdown conditions,” Dlamini-Zuma told media recently.
Source: Saturday Star, 4 July 2020
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The US Senate passed the Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act (S.1253) by unanimous consent on 1 July 2020. The legislation seeks to close the online loophole for e-cigarette sales to children by applying the same measures that are required when traditional cigarettes are purchased online.
The National Association of Convenience Store (NACS) has said it strongly supports S.1253, which ensures responsible retailing of e-cigarettes and age verification across all channels. The legislation would require online sellers of e-cigarettes to ensure the delivery carrier verifies the age of the recipient upon delivery. It would also require online sellers to collect and remit the appropriate state and local taxes.
These measures are already in place for cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products purchased over the internet under the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act, which NACS championed. Bill S.1253 updates PACT to include e-cigarettes which were not prevalent in the marketplace when the original law was passed.
Source: Convenience.Org, 6 July 2020
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