As a law firm that specializes in "tobacco cases" involving illegal trade in counterfeit tobacco products, we are always interested in the latest news on the tobacco products market. That is why we would like to share with you some alarming findings from the 2022 KPMG annual study of illicit cigarette consumption in the EU, U.K., Norway, Switzerland, Moldova and Ukraine, commissioned by Philip Morris Products SA.

The study reveals that 35.8 billion illicit cigarettes were consumed in the EU alone, continuing an upward trend in the illicit market. This represents a significant loss of tax revenue for the governments and a serious threat to public health and safety.

According to the study, Poland has seen an increase in total consumption in the cigarette market, reaching 43.9 billion cigarettes in 2022. This is the highest cigarette consumption in the last five years (in 2021 it was 39.52 billion cigarettes). The illicit tobacco market accounts for 4.2% of total consumption and amounts to 1.8 billion cigarettes. Compared to 2021, there is a slight decrease in the illicit market share, but it is still higher than the EU average of 3.9%.

If you want to learn more about the study and its implications, please check this article:
[https://www.pmi.com/media-center/press-releases/press-details/?newsId=26566]