The National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) in Ireland is advising the government to tackle the sale of illicit cigarettes, according to a story in the Irish Examiner.
The story said that a new [unspecified] survey had shown that almost 28 percent of discarded packs across the country were untaxed and, therefore, illicit.
The survey, covering 22 major centers, revealed also the existence of regional black spots where the illicit trade in cigarettes is on the increase.
The president of the NFRN, Joe Sweeney, is calling for the introduction of on-the-spot fines for the possession of counterfeit tobacco, as is the case in Canada.
The research showed that smokers in Drogheda, County Louth, and Tallaght, Dublin, were the biggest consumers of illicit cigarettes, while smokers in Clonmel, County Tipperary, consumed the fewest.