Letter: Primorolo's plea

Sir: The irony of Financial Secretary Dawn Primorolo's appeal last week to adult smokers to stop buying smuggled cigarettes is that it is her punitive tax policy that has caused the widespread smuggling epidemic.

The higher the tax, the greater the incentive and profit to the smuggler.

Smokers already subsidise this country to the tune of over pounds 10bn in cigarette taxes every year - enough to fund the entire police force.

The logical course of action would be to lower cigarette tax, thus removing the whole spine of the bootlegging trade. Appealing to the goodwill of smokers is outrageous, especially when the Government is introducing another punitive tax rise on 1 December.

KENNETH TORRICKE-BARTON

Fair Cigarette Tax Campaign,

Tonbridge,

Kent