UK
Mike Ridgway of the Consumer Packaging Manufacturers Alliance (CPMA) supports the recent Local Government Association (LGA) warning that millions of fake cigarettes are entering the UK and undermining efforts to cut smoking.
According to Ridgway, LGA representing 370 councils in England and Wales is so concerned about the increase in the selling of illegal cigarettes and tobacco products that it is requesting stricter penalties for those dealing in the trade. Reported losses to government are now running at over £2billion per year in excise duty and VAT according to LGA.
“This comes as no surprise to the packaging industry,” said Ridgway. “The upward trend of counterfeit packs has been entirely predictable and has increased since the introduction of plain packaging. The ‘simple specification’ plain pack eliminated design complexity from the pack specification making the job of a counterfeiter much easier.”
Ridgway also said that the smuggling of ‘non-duty’ paid product has existed for many years but the increasing number of counterfeit products is now extending out from the large industrial city areas across the whole country as recorded by the location of product seizures. This is a major concern to Trading Standards officers.
“Packaging plays an enormous part in combating the counterfeiter whereas plain packaging assists the counterfeiter,” said Ridgway.