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ou’re out’ policy, with a minimum penalty for the shopkeeper and the possibility of licences being revoked.
“They always get their licences back because magistrates don’t realise how big an issue this is,” he says. “They don’t see it as a big deal.”
MPs on the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking have warned that an over-reliance on public health messaging misses the point that some people “can’t afford” to smoke legally.
BBC/Phillip Edwards
“This is criminality, selling illegal cigarettes,” Alan says. “It’s absolute criminality in the full sense of the word.”
Back in Hull, the shop we visited looked no different to any of the others on that street or across the city – from the outside, at least.
Despite the huge numbers of shops selling illegal cigarettes in the area, only a handful are ever prosecuted. The rest go back to operating as normal the next day, selling more cheap, unregulated packs, tax-free.
“It’s come to a point where it seems institutional,” Alan says. “That’s the level we’re dealing with now.”
Representatives from Ezee Shop declined to comment.
You can listen to the full report, ‘Illegal Cigarettes on Our High Streets’, on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday 21 February at 20:00 GMT, or catch up afterwards on BBC Sounds.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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