Assessing the links between cigarette smuggling and corruption in non-European countries

Abstract

The main idea of the article is to understand how non-European citizens assess the links between corruption and cigarette smuggling. The results of the article are important in formulating strategies to reduce corruption and smuggling, taking into account public attitudes towards corruption and cigarette smuggling. To complete the empirical study, a quantitative survey of 2011 respondents was conducted in Armenia and Georgia. After the study, the main conclusion was drawn that corruption in both the countries has become a huge social problem, where bribes are a usual thing in state institutions (hospitals, clinics and government institutions), which influences the thrive of cigarette smuggling. The means recommended to decreasing cigarette smuggling: „cigarette with excise” should be cheaper and the society should be educated about the harm done by consuming smuggled cigarettes. In both countries, on average 80 % of the respondents surveyed in the research claimed that they knew nothing about consumption of smuggled cigarettes and weren’t open-minded about corruption. All this leads to the conclusion that, despite the fact the survey was anonymous, the public mentality and the current political-economic situation in the countries presuppose fear and unwillingness to express their opinion about the negative phenomenon, which they often participate in and support.