Abstract
The supply of counterfeit tobacco, illegally manufactured tobacco passed off as legitimate products, is a global problem that costs many governments millions of dollars annually in lost revenue. This paper looks at one end of this supply network: Kurdish refugee street sellers of counterfeit tobacco in Islington, North London. Local initiatives to deal with the criminal activity of the street sellers have been ineffective and at best have resulted in only a temporary interruption to activities. With little agreement amongst local agencies as to what constitutes the ‘problem’, and with local shoppers giving a higher priority to other neighbourhood issues, it would appear that efforts need to be focussed on interrupting the supply of counterfeit cigarettes before they reach the sellers. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, proposing marking of tobacco products, information sharing and mutual legal assistance, may offer a solution and is expected to produce a protocol for adoption in 2010.
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Acknowledgements
Thanks are offered to those that gave up their time to provide interviews and support, in particular: Tim Cooke and Chris Walsh (Safer Neighbourhood Team, Finsbury Park), Caroline Coen (Islington PCT), Joyce Polloya (Islington Council), Andy Palmer (Islington Council/Police), Frank Longsworth (HM Customs and Excise), Ari Shariff (Kurdish Information and Advisory Centre) and Jenny Crawford (Islington Trading Standards).
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McEwen, A., Straus, L. Counterfeit tobacco in London: local crime requires an international solution. Trends Organ Crim 12, 251–259 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-009-9068-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-009-9068-y