Source: Gazeta do Povo Online - Curitiba / PR - 07/12/2009

Contrary to the idea that awareness would play a major role in changing habits, a survey released by the Brazilian Institute of Competitive Ethics (Etco) at the beginning of the year concluded, in general terms, that most respondents would not stop smoking their usual brand smuggled if he knew that that cigarette pays no tax and still finances organized crime. The survey shows, however, that half would stop smoking or smoke less if they no longer found the usual brand or another one also smuggled.

The Survey of Smuggled Cigarette Consumers to Brazil gathers information provided by 1.221 people consulted in seven capitals (Porto Alegre, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Curitiba, Campo Grande and Belém) and in the interior of the state of São Paulo. Held in the period from 2 to 23 January in order to draw a profile of smokers from brands that enter the country illegally, it specifically concentrates the data collected from men and women, all smuggled cigarette consumers, from 18 to 64 years old and from classes B, C and D.

Fattening the indexes, half of the interviewees affirmed that they migrated from the national brands to the Paraguayans for more than two years motivated mainly by the lower cost. The preference, point out consumers, was reinforced in the ease of finding the product, acquired mainly in street vendor stalls, in street vendors and in bars. Asked what they do when they don't find the usual brand, 69% said they won't give up their preference and look elsewhere until they find it. Not buying or running out is the attitude of only 2%.

According to the deputy deputy of the Federal Revenue in Foz do Iguaçu, Rafael Dolzan, the apparent lack of awareness is explained by the false feeling that the losses with smuggling do not affect the individual. “Because they have more direct effects on the community, people tend not to consider them. In the case of cigarettes, this extends to the effects on the body itself. Those who smoke are not concerned with health. The difficulty of having better results in education actions comes up against this idea that price is more important than quality. ” (FW)