Monthly Archives: February 2011

CRE Participates in ATF Anti-Cigarette Trafficking Proceeding

Posted on February 23, 2011

CRE filed comments on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ proposed rule to counter the smuggling and sale of contraband cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.  Key points raised by ATF in their NPRM were:

    1.   Cigarette smuggling profits fund terrorism and other deadly criminal groups.

    2.   Counterfeit cigarettes pose health hazards over and above those of genuine cigarettes.

    3.   Illegal cigarette trafficking makes it easier for children to smoke.

CRE’s comments informed the ATF about the contemplated ban on menthol cigarettes and noted that, “if enacted, a ban would create enormous demand for contraband menthol cigarettes, a product preferred by over 18 million people, or one-third of adult cigarette smokers.

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Philip Morris Sues China-Based Websites

Posted on February 23, 2011

Philip Morris USA, highlighting a new front in its long-running campaign against counterfeit cigarettes, said it has sued seven China-based Internet retailers for allegedly selling fake Marlboros to California consumers.

The Altria Group Inc. unit, which is the largest U.S. cigarette manufacturer by revenue, said Wednesday that sales of phony Marlboro cigarettes to American smokers through China-based websites is an emerging problem. It said its lawsuit filed this week in a California federal court is the first of its kind by a U.S. company.

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FDA Must Examine Counterfeit Cigs, CRE Says

Posted on February 23, 2011
23 Feb

 The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE) has informed the US Food and Drug Administration and its Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee that “contraband cigarettes pose a serious health problem and that TPSAC is required by statute to address this issue in its study of menthol.”

 The CRE sent the FDA three documents that make its case for the FDA’s responsibilities regarding counterfeit cigarettes. Those documents contain information regarding the health risks posed by counterfeit tobacco products and wording in the law that created the TPSAC requiring it to protect public health.

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