The Factbook on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products 8 – France

This report is part of the project The Factbook on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (henceforth, ITTP).

Tobacco consumption is undoubtedly a danger for human health, and governments should carefully regulate the tobacco market. Illicit tobacco avoids state regulation and taxation and may jeopardise tobacco control policies. The Factbook will contribute to raising awareness about the global importance of the ITTP and about the strategies available to prevent it. The Factbook has been developed for a wide readership ranging from policymakers and academics to interested stakeholders, with the intention of providing support to develop knowledge-based debates and policies on the ITTP.

The information gathered for this report originates from academic literature, grey literature, open sources, questionnaires and interviews with experts and stakeholders. The data-gathering phase of the project encountered major difficulties due to the number of sources, institutions and stakeholders involved.

The results of the report do not claim to be exhaustive or an accurate reflection of criminal practices. They provide an initial assessment of the ITTP in France and a starting point for future research.

As a concerned stakeholder in the fight against the illicit trade in tobacco products, Philip Morris International (PMI) welcomed Transcrime’s initiative to develop the Factbook on the ITTP with financial support and the provision of data. However, Transcrime retained full control and stands as guarantor for the independence of the research and its results. Information and data for the study have been collected by Transcrime and have not been shared with PMI.