PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO COMBAT ILLICIT CIGARETTES TRADE STARTS

A national public awareness campaign to counter illicit cigarettes trading will be launched and carried out jointly by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Interior, Bulgarian Customs Agency and the Centre for the Study of Democracy, the Customs Agency informed on 16th of December.

The organiser is the initiative “Combatting Illicit Trade in Cigarettes”, in which five tobacco companies in Bulgaria united efforts to tackle the problems related to the high levels of consumption of illicit cigarettes.

A study shows that for fourth consecutive period in comparison with the beginning of 2012, the consumption of illegal cigarettes, not intended for the Bulgarian market, has increased by 15,3 %, which is a clear and worrying indication about the growing trend in illicit trade.

For the second half of 2014, the level of consumption of illegal cigarettes, average for the country, is 20 %, with the highest levels in the towns of Sliven, Sandanski, Pazardzhik and Plovdiv.