Exaggerating the economic importance of the industry

The illicit trade in tobacco products represents a major global concern for public health, economy and public safety. More specifically, the illicit trade in tobacco products undermines tobacco control policy efforts, particularly in relation to tax policy. As they are not taxed or regulated, illicit tobacco products do not have health warnings or packaging or labeling requirements, which favors their consumption. As with other regions in the world, the illegal cigarette trade in Mercosur involves lower average prices compared to taxed cigarettes. Furthermore, the increase in the accessibility of cigarettes, via the informal market, combined with the lower prices of smuggled products - and therefore not subject to regulation - favors the consumption of cigarettes by young people and low-income populations 1,4.

Keep abreast of significant corporate, financial and political developments around the world. Stay informed and spot emerging risks and opportunities with independent global reporting, expert commentary and analysis you can trust.

This essay seeks to describe the efforts made to portray the “reality of smuggling” in Brazil by analyzing the instruments and the strategies of the actors involved in these efforts, such as the Institute for Social and Economic Development of the Borders (IDESF), the National Forum Against Piracy and Illegality (FNCP), the Brazilian Institute for Ethics in Competition (ETCO), and the Brazilian Association for Combating Counterfeiting (ABCF). Smuggling has emerged as a critical topic in the agenda of the antipiracy coalition, and is associated with certain spaces, actors, and dynamics that define its key circuits, both territorially and socially: land borders (especially with Paraguay) traversed by commercial circuits that feed popular markets. By contemplating the actors, performances, instruments, and variables chosen to compose the figures of smuggling, it is possible to appreciate the agenda that is being put forward and the effects on the government and management of those circuits.

Notícia que informa sobre a criação de um cigarro eletrônico "seguro". Além da divulgação do novo produto pela British American Tobacco, cientistas alegam que este cigarro é 95% mais seguro.