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ASH Daily News
30 October 2002


HEADLINES

Customs changes strategy on bootlegging
Cartoon celebrity promotes lung cancer awareness

FULL TEXT

Customs changes strategy on bootlegging

Pick up any paper today and you will find news on the HM Customs revision of
‘limits’ and ‘allowances’ that can be brought in from the European mainland.

This news follows from the economic secretary to the treasury, John Healey’s
announcement yesterday, of Customs new strategy to deal with the problem of
bootlegging. The strategy promises to deliver more convictions based on
improved targeting using better intelligence. Customs are going to continue
seizures of good suspected of being meant for resale. Vehicle seizures will
also remain as deterrent to smugglers.

But the strategy also raises guidelines used by Customs officers to judge
whether goods being carried are for personal consumption. The previous
indicative levels for personal use were set at 800 cigarettes and 1kg of
rolling tobacco. This has been raised to 3200 cigarettes and 3 kg of rolling
tobacco.

The majority of the press interprets this as a climb-down by the Customs.
The Sun, like many other tabloids hails it a victory for channel shoppers.

Typically, the Tobacco Manufacturers Association said that government had
failed to tackle the underlying causes of smuggling. Tim Lords, chief
executive of the TMA used the opportunity to call for a reduction in UK
taxes. Retailers, complained that they were still losing huge amounts to
bootlegging.

ASH cautiously welcomed the new strategy.

ASH comment: The reference to increases in allowances of alcohol and
tobacco for personal use as described in some of the media is misleading.
Individuals can purchase as much tobacco or alcohol as they like as long as
it is for personal use. The real issue is that of detecting fraud and
making a distinction between genuine shoppers and bootleggers. People will
only be stopped and searched if Customs suspect that the tobacco or alcohol
is intended for re-sale: it is unlikely that smugglers would purchase fewer
than 3200 cigarettes as the profit on re-sale would be marginal. See also
ASH press release at: http://www.ash.org.uk/html/press/021029
<http://www.ash.org.uk/html/press/021029>

Source: All papers.



Cartoon celebrity promotes lung cancer awareness

The Mirror’s heavy-drinking, chain smoking cartoon character is spearheading
a campaign to increase awareness of lung cancer. And he is doing it in his
favourite haunt - the pub.

Doctors hope that the involvement of the flat capped Andy to spread the
message that a long-term cough could be the first sign of lung cancer.

Experts from the Macmillan Cancer Relief and the Roy Castle Lung Cancer
Foundation asked the Daily Mirror if they could use Andy to get the message
across.

In one of the strips Andy is seen coughing whilst his long-suffering partner
Flo nonchalantly telling him to have it looked at.

For those reader unfamiliar with the lovable rogue, a selection of Andy Capp
can be viewed below:
<http://www.unitedmedia.com/creators/andycapp/archive/andycapp-20021019.html
>

Source: The Mirror, 30 October 2002


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Naj Dehlavi
Action on Smoking and Health
102 Clifton Street
London EC2A 4HW
http://www.ash.org.uk