Restrict sale of cigarettes by licensing retailers

I WISH to respond to Concerned Citizen’s letter “Tackle the trade in illicit cigarettes as well,” (The Star, June 30). Concerned Citizen, while conscientious in raising the problem of smuggling of cigarettes, provides a skewed view, however. In fact, Concerned Citizen’s views echo point-by-point the tobacco industry’s views on the problem.

Concerned Citizen quotes from a recent Universiti Malaya study on five brands that showed the tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in illicit cigarettes exceeded the limit imposed on legal cigarettes. However, the public is not told that this study was funded by the largest tobacco company operating in Malaysia.