Jump to full article: British American Tobacco (BAT), 2009-06-29
Intro: Billions of smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes – enough to circle the Earth more than 60 times – are costing increasingly indebted governments some US$20-40 billion a year worldwide in lost taxes, British American Tobacco said today.
Up to 660 billion cigarettes worldwide are estimated to pass through the hands of smugglers, counterfeiters and local tax evaders every year. In packs of 20 laid end to end, the cigarettes would circle Earth more than 60 times or stretch to the moon and back almost four times.
British American Tobacco supports a new World Health Organisation (WHO) treaty being debated this week in Geneva - the Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products - which aims to combat the problem through stronger international co-ordination and enforcement. The Protocol acknowledges that legitimate tobacco industry interests are damaged by illicit trade along with those of governments.
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