Jump to full article: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), 2002-07-30
Author: Bradley A. Buckles
Intro: This conference presents an opportunity for us to learn from each other and work together to strike a blow against the illicit trade in tobacco products. This work is important for several reasons. This illegal activity results in a loss of revenue vital to the operations of Governments, it provides financial fuel to organized crime and terrorist activities and it can undercut health policies.
This conference that brings together experts from around the globe offers a special opportunity to achieve a lasting impact that none of us standing alone could accomplish. The unique experiences that each of us bring to the table will serve to strengthen all and enable us to face down this growing problem that crosses oceans and borders.
I represent an agency that has been in the tobacco business for centuries.
As a part of the U.S. Treasury Department, ATF is responsible for regulatory oversight, tax collection, and law enforcement with respect to the most controversial legal products in American society. We approach these multi-faceted duties with an array of employees that range from armed criminal investigators, to inspectors with rights to enter businesses and examine inventories, books, and records, to a host of expert auditors, chemists, lawyers, and other professionals.
Tobacco tax in the United States is big business. . .
In 1776, during some of the darkest times for the American revolutionaries, George Washington appealed to his countrymen for aid to the army: "If you can't send money, send tobacco." During the war, it was tobacco exports that the fledgling government used to build up credits abroad. And, when the war was over, Americans turned to tobacco taxes to help repay the revolutionary war debt.
And so, tax on tobacco in the United States traces back to our beginnings as a nation. . .
We know that if we can move kids through this critical period without smoking, the chances that they will pick up the habit when they are mature adults is considerably diminished.
Thus we can see that while the problems surrounding our efforts to effectively control tobacco sales are daunting, the stakes are enormous. Let our efforts this week be the beginning of increasingly effective ways to combat the illicit trade in tobacco. By sharing best practices we also create a shared vision to deny criminals easy profits from illicit trade in tobacco products, and in so doing provide a benefit to public health.
These conferences provide the framework for mutually agreeable and beneficial actions we can take. I applaud all of you here today who continue to seek solutions. Despite the frustrations we may face, we are more likely to succeed if we move forward together.
On behalf of the United States, I appreciate your attendance and participation, and I offer our best wishes for a successful conference. Thank you.
Jump to full article » |