Imperial Tobacco made exactly that point today

ie, all this will do is drive more people to buy smuggled ones

imagine that must be a pretty massive market now. But depends what the goal is really I suppose. If it's to raise revenue, then yes - driving loads of people to buy smuggled ones shoudl be a worry.

But if it's really about stopping people taking up smoking in the first place - then should still work. Would have thought it's really addicts who turn to smuggled stuff really. Sky-high prices must put off new smokers, surely.

Posted By: Tricky Hawes, Mar 21, 18:19:36