Other peer-reviewed studies provide support for these findings.[3] A 2018 study in Public Finance Review examined littered packs of cigarettes across 132 communities in 38 states, finding that 21 percent of packs did not have proper local stamps.[4] As noted by LaFaive and Nesbit, authors of the Mackinac Center study, smuggling comes in different forms: casual smuggling, where smaller quantities of cigarettes are purchased in one area and then transported for personal consumption, and commercial smuggling, which is large-scale criminal activity that can involve counterfeit state tax stamps, counterfeit versions of legitimate brands, hijacked trucks, or officials turning a blind eye.[5] The Mackinac Center has cited numerous examples over the many editions of this report, including stories of a Maryland police officer running illicit cigarettes while on duty, a Virginia man hiring a contract killer over a cigarette smuggling dispute, and prison guards caught smuggling cigarettes into prisons
Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 2018
Cigarette Boxes cigarette boxes may be highly personalized, and distinctive packaging can set a cigarette pack apart from its competitors
Falk is a professor of communication, psychology, marketing, and operations, informatics, and decisions at the University of Pennsylvania
