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Statistics on smoking cessation services in Northern Ireland: 1 April 2008–31 March 2009 

In Northern Ireland during 2008/09:

* 21,272 people set a quit date through the smoking cessation services. This is a decrease of 204 (1%) on the same period last year.

* Of those setting a quit date, 2% were under 18 years of age, 33% were aged 18-34, 25% were aged 35-44, 26% were aged 45-59, and 14% were aged 60 and over.

* Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) was the most popular drug therapy, with 66% of those who set a quit date opting for it.

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Northern Ireland Health Minister encouraged by numbers of people giving up smoking  

The Health Minister has welcomed new statistics which show that 21,272 people set a quit smoking date in 2008/09.

Michael McGimpsey said: “I welcome the fact that over 21,000 people have set a quit date through the smoking cessation services in the last year.

“Smoking is thought to be the single greatest cause of preventable illness and premature death in Northern Ireland. By giving up smoking, people will improve their life expectancy, they will have a better sense of taste and of course they will save money.

“While these figures are encouraging there are still approximately 350,000 smokers in Northern Ireland. I would ask smokers to seriously think about giving up. Nicotine Replacement Therapy is the most popular choice for those people trying to quit and the Department will ensure that everyone will have access to this treatment.”

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• NI tobacco smuggling 'widespread' 

The selling of smuggled tobacco is so widespread in Northern Ireland that almost nine in ten shopkeepers are aware of its sale in their area, it was revealed on Tuesday.

A new survey showed 87% of shopkeepers were aware of the sales in their area and 37% knew the smugglers were supplying to underage smokers.

It also found 68% of local corner shopkeepers believe a ban on tobacco displays in shops will drive more trade into the black market.

At the same time 68% of those polled said they believe cross-border shopping and tobacco smuggling will get worse over the coming year.

The survey was carried out by the Tobacco Retailers Association as the government considers a move than would ban all tobacco displays in shops in a bid to reduce smoking by the young.

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9.5m illegal cigarettes uncovered by customs officials 

Over nine million suspected counterfeit cigarettes worth almost £2m in lost tax revenue have been seized by customs officers at Belfast Docks this week.

The UK Border Agency and HM Revenue and Customs uncovered the illegal haul in several freight containers which were bound for the black market.

The first batch was discovered by officers carrying out searches on Tuesday. Around 3.5 million John Player Special cigarettes were found concealed in two large containers under a cover load of granite. . . .

HMRC assistant director in criminal investigation, John Whiting, said tobacco smuggling was not a "victimless crime".

"The huge profits reaped from the sales of illegal cigarettes are ploughed straight back into the criminal underworld, feeding activities like drug dealing and fraud. Purchasing cheap cigarettes without the duty paid on them means trading with criminals, and undermining honest businesses," he said.

The HMRC estimates around £3bn of UK taxpayers' money is diverted from public services into the pockets of tobacco fraudsters every year.

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Foyle and West | 9m cigarettes are seized at docks 

More than nine million suspected counterfeit cigarettes have been seized in freight containers at Belfast docks over the last 24 hours.

About 3.5 million John Player Special cigarettes were found on Tuesday night by the UK Border Agency concealed in two containers under a load of granite.

On Wednesday morning officers uncovered six million mixed-brand cigarettes in a trailer containing peppers. A man from County Armagh was arrested by Customs after the second find.

The cigarettes have an estimated duty loss of almost £2m.

The brands found in the second batch included Benson and Hedges and Marlboro. John Whiting, of HM Revenue and Customs said: "Tobacco smuggling is not a victimless crime.

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High prices lead to hike in cigarette smuggling 

CIGARETTE smuggling is becoming a very serious problem in Ireland because a combination of the highest price in the European Union and the economic downturn is making it very attractive to smugglers.

Dave Godwin, head of the Customs Criminal Investigations in Dublin, said that with the price of a cigarette packet now about €8.45 and the tax and duties accounting for €6.63 of that, the market was lucrative for smugglers.

"We are even seeing counterfeit John Player Blue, a brand almost uniquely confined to Dublin. They are going to the trouble of replicating in good quality the packaging and the Irish tax stamp," said Mr Godwin.

There is a price difference of about €1.65 for a pack of 20 cigarettes between the Republic and the North. . . .

Releasing their annual report in Brussels yesterday OLAF director general, Franz-Hermann Bruner said, "Our co-operation with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners is very positive. In 2008 we were particularly successful in a case against cigarette smugglers operating via Singapore."

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Pair arrested over £3bn cigarette smuggling scam 

Two Northern Ireland men arrested in connection with one of the largest ever international tobacco smuggling scams have been released on bail.

A third man from England is still in custody.

The men were arrested during a number of early morning raids yesterday by officers from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) investigating the smuggling of hundreds of millions of cigarettes from the Far East into the UK and the Republic.

The raids represent part of an 18-month probe into suspected tax evasion and laundering the proceeds of crime.

Two men arrested in Co Londonderry were detained but released on bail yesterday evening, while the Englishman was last night still being questioned.

The arrests were made following the search of private and business premises by HMRC officers on both sides of the border and in Cambridgeshire.

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• 28,000 cigarettes seized in raids by Customs officials 

Almost 30,000 counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes have been seized from premises in north Belfast by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

During early morning raids at eight premises in north Belfast yesterday, Revenue and Customs officers, supported by the PSNI, seized 28,000 counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes and business records.

As part of an ongoing programme of visits to businesses across Northern Ireland, HMRC officers used new hand-held scanning equipment to quickly identify counterfeit or non UK-duty paid tobacco products.

The scanner detects covert security markings on the packaging, invisible to the naked eye, and gives an instant indication of counterfeit or smuggled tobacco.

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Cigarette haul seized at NI port 

Customs officers have seized 8.5m smuggled cigarettes at Belfast docks.

The find, said to be worth about £5m, had been smuggled from China and was hidden behind boxes lined with carbon paper to try to avoid X-ray detection.

The cigarettes were seized by officers from the UK Border Agency. A man was arrested but released without charge.

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80% support smoke-free sports stadiums  

More than 80% of people attending sporting events last year support the idea of smoke-free stadiums, according to research published today.

The study by the Ulster GAA, the Ulster Cancer Foundation and the Office of Tobacco Control found that 72% of smokers support the idea.

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Commercial Drivers 'Worst Offenders' On Smoking Ban 

Just under 90% of NI people being fined for breaking the smoking ban in Belfast are commercial vehicle drivers.

Van drivers, taxi drivers and other motorists - those who make their living behind the wheel - are being branded as the worst offenders when it comes to smoking in an 'enclosed space'.

Two years into the controversial introduction of the legislation in Northern Ireland, the Belfast City Council has released details of the fines it has handed out in the past two years.

A statement said that, of the 230 fixed penalty notices issued, around 88% were in relation to people smoking in vehicles.

They said that anyone caught smoking in a work vehicle is subject to a £50 fine.

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Northern Ireland | Smoking drivers 'worst offenders' 

Almost nine out of every 10 people fined for breaking the smoking ban in Belfast are commercial drivers.

Van and taxi drivers and others who drive as part of their job are the worst offenders, according to the city council.

Since the ban was introduced two years ago, 88% of the 230 fixed penalty notices issued were in relation to people smoking in vehicles.

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Ulster cancer charity in call to ban tobacco displays  

AN Ulster charity has joined over 100 regional and national organisations in a lobby to end tobacco displays in shops.

The Ulster Cancer Foundation (UCF) has signed up to a full-page advertisement, which appeared in the Observer newspaper, urging members of the House of Lords to end tobacco displays in shops and ban sales of tobacco from vending machines.

The advert has the backing of 100 organisations, as well as medical and scientific experts.

The report stage of the Health Bill starts on Tuesday, and UCF wants the Lords to vote in favour of putting tobacco out of sight in a bid to protect children from the 'eye-catching displays' which are often close to the sweet counters in many shops.

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• U.S. businessman 'funded Real IRA soldier killers by smuggling cigarettes into Ireland' 

An American businessman has been accused of funding the Real IRA by masterminding a cigarette smuggling ring that has netted them hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The case highlights the criminal activities which underpin the funding of terrorism in Northern Ireland.

Roman Vidal, 57, arranged for shipments of millions of cigarettes from Panama to Dublin where they were collected by contacts linked to the terror group.

The Real IRA has claimed responsibility for the murder of two British soldiers in Antrim on Saturday. . . .

Vidal is accused of sending two massive shipments of cigarettes to Ireland which were sold on the 'black market' at a fraction of the cost of other cigarettes.

U.S. customs agents told a Miami court they were able to trace the shipments, hidden under wood flooring and insulation material, to gangs linked to the Real IRA.

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• Northern Ireland | Air cleaner as more quit smoking 

Air in public houses is cleaner and more people are trying to quit smoking, according to a review of Northern Ireland's smoke-free legislation.

The review also found that compliance with the legislation remained high.

Smoking is now banned in most enclosed work and public places and in vehicles such as buses and taxis.

Nicotine levels in bars have fallen by 92% since the ban was introduced and there was also a 94% reduction in average fine air particulate levels.

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