Fecha de publicación: -- Fuente: Tobacco Reporter Lugar: Around the Industry Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), a U.K. tobacco-control charity, has challenged tobacco industry estimates of the country’s illicit cigarette market, citing a discrepancy between government figures and industry-funded research. In a report published Oct. 19, ASH said HM Revenue & Customs estimated that illicit cigarettes accounted for 12% of U.K. cigarette consumption in 2024-25, or about 1.9 billion cigarettes. A KPMG report commissioned by Philip Morris International estimated that 45% of cigarettes consumed in the U.K. in 2025 were illicit, including counterfeit and contraband products and cigarettes purchased legally abroad.



ASH said illicit cigarette consumption had fallen by nearly 90% since 2000, from 15.1 billion cigarettes annually to 1.9 billion in 2024-25, with cigarette prices more than tripling. Japan Tobacco International said the industry’s estimates use different methodologies from HMRC’s, including analysis of collected cigarette packs, and cautioned against treating any single estimate as definitive. The Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association also cited uncertainty in HMRC’s estimates of the illicit tobacco tax gap.The post ASH Report Challenges UK’s Illicit Tobacco Market Numbers first appeared on Tobacco Reporter.