Now it's law: cigarette has a minimum price of R $ 3

By ETCO
15/06/2012

Since May 1, the Minimum Price Law has been in force, which prohibits the sale of cigarettes for less than R $ 3. To ensure compliance with the new legislation, the tobacco industry launched, in an event addressed to the press, on April 24, a campaign to inform the population about the risks of breaking the law and, mainly, the benefits of complying with it

Held by Souza Cruz, alongside the largest representative entities of the national retail sector, the campaign, which aims to raise awareness among retailers and consumers, is signed by ETCO (Brazilian Institute of Competitive Ethics), ABCF (Brazilian Association to Combat Counterfeiting) , by Abip (Brazilian Association of the Bakery Industry), Abrasel (Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants), Abresi (Brazilian Association of Gastronomy, Lodging and Tourism), FBHA (Brazilian Federation of Lodging and Food) and Sindicom (National Union of Companies) Fuel and Lubricant Distributors). Also present at the campaign launch event were the executive secretary of the National Council for Combating Piracy (CNCP), Virginius of France, and the project coordinator of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV), José Antônio Schontag.

Aimed at more than 400 thousand cigarette sales points in the country and to society in general, the campaign - created by the agency G2 Brasil - aims to spread the disclosure of the Minimum Price Law (article 20 of Law 12.546 / 2011 and article 7 of the decree 7555/2011), which punishes offenders with product seizure, a ban on selling cigarettes for 5 years and, depending on the origin of the product, even criminal prosecution. To this end, it will prioritize the distribution - at retail points and in more than 5 Brazilian municipalities, - of posters, stickers, advertisements and explanatory leaflets, in an initial investment of R $ 5 million. The effort also includes encouraging debate in various business forums and organized civil society.

“We meet today, Souza Cruz and all national retail entities, to show that we are prepared to collaborate with the federal government in the fight against the illegal market. We seek to build an environment that can guarantee the sustainability of our business and the future of the country, ”stated the president of Souza Cruz, Andrea Martini.

With the new law in force, the expectation is that cigarette smuggling will decrease and everyone will win: industry and commerce, consumers and society. In the case of industry and commerce, it will represent, along with the end of unfair competition, the real trend of increasing revenues - today, about 30% of cigarettes sold are illegal. For society, it will mean greater investment in public works and services, due to the increase in tax collection - currently, due to the illegal cigarette trade, the country stops collecting R $ 2 billion in taxes. And it will also be positive for the consumer, who will no longer be exposed to a product without phytosanitary control, in which studies have already identified the presence of insects, pieces of iron and even fecal coliforms. Finally, the decrease in the sale of illegal cigarettes also makes it difficult for people under 18 to access the product.

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