Illicit Tobacco Sales Boosted by Economic Crisis in Brazil

An unfavorable economy in Brazil is turning consumers there toward illicit cigarettes. Illicit cigarettes are often more than half the price of legal cigarettes, and consumers with low incomes and the unemployment are turning to these illegal products. In fact. about 41 percent of all cigarette sales in Brazil are from illicit products. Legal tobacco products are suffering as a result, and many Brazilian consumers are turning away from smoking completely as a result of a health trend that is sweeping the country.