Nicotine - Illicit, Bootleg, & Alternative Markets: Difference between revisions

=Avoiding Taxes and bans=

===2021: Article: [https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/black-market-cigarettes-a-growing-boom-trade-in-wa-warns-ex-top-border-cop-20210121-p56vzf.html?fbclid=IwAR2sQ8gZjcuLHXznvCq5_xxXKKly6h74bDrHyOtQ9iYEhCJtj-xly-znrys Black market cigarettes a growing boom trade in Western Australia, warns ex-top border cop]===

*The founder of Border Force's illegal tobacco squad says one in five cigarettes smoked in Australia is illegal and demand has spawned a smuggling trade worth hundreds of millions of dollars each year, with a recent record-breaking case in Western Australia.

* the black market for illegal tobacco – imported mainly from Asia and the Middle East – has grown, with the ATO estimating about $650 million in potential tobacco excise revenue was lost in 2017-18.

===2021: Article: [https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/man-receives-100k-fine-after-aglc-seized-nearly-6-700-pounds-of-contraband-tobacco-1.5364849 Man receives $100k fine after AGLC seized nearly 6,700 pounds of contraband tobacco]===

*The potential lost tax revenue of the products was estimated by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) to be more than $972,000.

===2020: Article: [https://filtermag.org/native-american-reservations-new-york-vape-shops/ Native American Reservations a Haven for New York Vape Shops]===

*New York State’s 20 percent excise tax on vapor products and nearly 9 percent sales tax also do not apply to the Shinnecock and other tribes. Essentially, Silva said, patrons can spend almost 30 percent less than they normally spend, and nobody has to worry about breaking the law.

===2017: Article: [https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/second-illinois-man-charged-with-using-fake-business-to-buy/article_70009b80-513d-52bb-ba1d-5685d2b2070c.html Second Illinois man charged with using fake business to buy and sell $3M in tax-exempt cigarettes]===

*Most of the cigarettes Khatib bought were allegedly sold in Chicago, where the state excise tax is $1.98 per pack compared to 17 cents per pack in Missouri. Khatib and Qaddoumi allegedly kept the inflated profits.  

===2017: Article: [https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/women-allegedly-bought-up-cigarettes-in-low-tax-missouri-to/article_54dd41be-8d5a-599e-990b-1770d43c148a.html?fbclid=IwAR2tsMmIMMwIX4GbWHQFWoJkSPP4gmbtzN5oQ28C5M_lPUV5s8U0f0MGM2o Women allegedly bought up cigarettes in low-tax Missouri to sell in high-tax New York]===

*The women admitted they had driven around the St. Louis area in a rented car buying them up [160 cartons of cigarettes], with plans to sell them back in New York. In addition to the recovered cigarette cartons, police found about two dozen fake credit cards that the women apparently used to buy them.

===2015: Report: [https://www.nap.edu/catalog/19016/understanding-the-us-illicit-tobacco-market-characteristics-policy-context-and Understanding the U.S. Illicit Tobacco Market]===

*[https://www.nap.edu/login.php?record_id=19016&page=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nap.edu%2Fdownload%2F19016 PDF version]

*Citation: National Research Council. 2015. Understanding the U.S. Illicit Tobacco Market: Characteristics, Policy Context, and Lessons from International Experiences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/19016.

===2013: Article: [https://www.seattlebusinessmag.com/blog/cigarette-smuggling-makes-wa-tax-revenue-go-smoke Cigarette smuggling makes WA tax revenue go up in smoke]===

*Washington’s Department of Revenue estimates the state lost about $376 million in tax revenue in 2012 to cigarette tax evasion. An estimated 35 percent of the cigarettes in Washington are contraband.

=Illicit Market=