The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: Illicit trade in tobacco products poses a great threat to public health and to governments' commitment for tobacco control. In this session, we will discuss the best practices for combating cigarette smuggling and the emerging new face of smuggling activities.

Methods: As will be highlighted, illicit trade poses a major public health threat, which is recognized in the provisions of the WHO FCTC. The session will also provide evidence on increasing trade in counterfeit cigarettes around the globe and how to tackle this threat. The experts from the World Customs Organization, OLAF and Europol will discuss how they coordinate and collaborate with countries on smuggling activities and what needs to be done further to get the best results on combating smuggling in tobacco products. Finally, discussions will be made on the possibility of making the tobacco industry and governments responsible for the illicit trade on cigarette products.

Results: Efficient and effective ways of combating smuggling start with gathering and sharing up-to-date knowledge and evidence among customs which require strong cooperation and collaboration globally. Evidence clearly shows that governments' commitment is essential but not sufficient enough to combat cigarette smuggling. Global coordination and collaboration among governments and the customs are extremely important. This session will suggest practical ways of harnessing the experience of WHO, WCO, OLAF and Europol to combat illicit trade in tobacco products internationally.