Sir, - It is very clear that the tobacco industry should introduce a clearly identifiable serial number on each pack of cigarettes in order to fight the smugglers and reduce illegal sales. Millions of pounds worth of cigarettes are finding their way into an illegal sales environment. It is obvious that there is a market for stolen and smuggled cigarettes through so-called legitimate outlets. These rough traders are doing their legitimate colleagues a great disservice.
The food sector has now developed a tracing system to ensure that the selling path can be traced from farm to table. A similar mechanism is surely necessary for a product that causes so much damage to public health and kills 6,500 people in Ireland each year.
A serial number on each pack would allow the authorities to follow the path of cigarettes from factory to consumer. It would also facilitate the identification of those traders who sell stolen or smuggled tobacco.
ASH Ireland welcomes the recent announcement by the Garda that it has arrested and charged individuals in the Cork region for the theft of cigarettes. Indeed the Garda and Customs and Excise officials are to be congratulated on their efforts to stop illegal tobacco sales. - Yours, etc.,
Dr Fenton Howell, Chairperson, ASH Ireland, Northumberland Road, Dublin 4.