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Illegal tobacco seller from Dewsbury hid 25,000 illicit cigarettes and 11kg of hand rolling tobacco
A Dewsbury woman has admitted selling illegal cigarettes and tobacco products from her business. Patricia Gajdosova appeared at Kirklees Magistrates Court for selling illegal cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco at her business, Euro Market in Dewsbury.
West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service visited Euro Market multiple times and seized illegal tobacco on each occasion which was either counterfeit, did not bear the statutory health warnings, was not in the standardised packaging or was non-duty paid. Illegal tobacco was found hidden in the sales area and in nearby storage areas. The total amount recovered was over 25,000 cigarettes and 11kg of hand rolling tobacco resulting in a loss of duty over £10,000 for the government.
Speaking after the sentencing David Lodge, Head of West Yorkshire Trading Standards, said “Members of the public should recognise the adverse health, economic and social impacts of the illicit trade of tobacco products, including the linkages with human trafficking. In addition, the packaging has none of the hard-hitting images and messages designed to remind people of the wide range of health harms smoking can cause, that legal cigarette packaging now carries."
Source: Dewsbury Reporter, 23 August 2019
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Tackling Indonesia's smoking addiction
Walking through rural Indonesia, it's not uncommon to see primary school children smoking cigarettes. It's just one part of an epidemic in a country where nearly 70% of all men and one in five children aged between 13 and 15 smoke, according to official data.
Indonesia has one of the highest smoking rates in the world and a tobacco industry that continues to thrive as the number of smokers’ decreases globally. While the legal minimum age for smoking in Indonesia is 18 years old, the industry remains largely unregulated, particularly in more remote parts of the country.
In those areas, children can buy a single cigarette from road-side kiosks for as little as few cents. Indonesia's national addiction to tobacco is not only fuelled by its availability and affordability, but also because of the key role it plays in the country's economy.
Mohammed Faisal, executive director of think tank Centre of Reform on Economics Indonesia, told ABC that tobacco has historically been one of Indonesia's largest national industries, with the hand-rolled kretek clove cigarettes ingrained in Indonesian culture. "There are incredibly wealthy tobacco conglomerates who have the capability of influencing the political systems, particularly in regions which are dependent on the industry," he said.
Source: ABC News, 31 August 2019
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Ireland: Vaping is a real drag on landfill sites
Irish vape sellers have admitted that e-cigarette devices cause a “huge amount of waste” that cannot be recycled. Vaping products usually contain a lithium battery and plastic e-liquid cartridges which, when discarded, can leach battery acid, dangerous metals and nicotine. The cartridges and refill bottles holding the nicotine solution cannot be recycled. Lithium-ion batteries fall under waste electrical and electronic equipment regulation.
There are about 200,000 vapers in Ireland, according to Healthy Ireland, and an average user gets through three 10ml e-liquid bottles a week.
Declan Connolly, a director of the Irish Vape Vendors Association (IVVA), said the smaller nicotine containers had created a “huge amount of extra waste”. He said: “In 2016 the most popular bottle was 30ml. Now we can sell only 10ml bottles. Those pods all go into landfill.”
Mindy O’Brien, of Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment, said e-cigarette waste was a problem and “the establishment of a deposit refund scheme is essential”.
Source: The Times, 1 September 2019
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.
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