Raising price and reducing illicit trade
Increasing tobacco price is the most effective policy to reduce smoking rates, reduce health inequalities and prevent smoking-related deaths.
The availability of illicit tobacco also undermines almost every aspect of tobacco control – in particular the effectiveness of taxation. It keeps smokers hooked and provides a cheap and accessible source of tobacco to children. Organised criminal gangs are behind the supply and it funds and fuels wider criminal activity in local communities.
Fresh delivers a multi component strand of activity at national and sub-national levels to address the illicit tobacco trade and to advocate to keep high the real price of tobacco.
We support local and regional trading standards with local tobacco control work with advice and strategic guidance and through regular cascading of relevant policy developments.
We will also continue to advocate for effective tobacco taxation to ensure that the real price of tobacco remains high, that differential tax rates between tobacco products are eliminated and that tobacco tax policy is strengthened to minimise the impact of tobacco industry pricing strategies.
Visit the Illicit Tobacco Partnership section.