Even though cigarette smoking in the United States is on the decline, the Middle East is rife with individuals who just want to light up after a long day of work, an excessively delicious meal, or an exhilarating night of…
Israel recently introduced a ban on cigarette smoking in bars and restaurants. But, as anyone who has traveled to Tel Aviv knows, Israelis haven’t seemed to notice and puff away as they drink their lukewarm cocktails and take shots, err half shots, known as chasers.
Well, it seems Israelis’ smoking habit could be inadvertently funding their enemies. It appears that terror groups have long used blackmarket cigarettes as a major source of income. These organizations — including Hamas, Hezbollah and Al Qaeda — even raise money in the U.S. before dispersing those funds to their local cells. Terror groups also harness the internet to dispense illegal tobacco products, and some U.S. lawmakers are not happy about it.
Yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act that provides the U.S. government with additional tools to crack down on illicit tobacco sellers, including terrorist.
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) said in a statement:
“Tobacco trafficking is a lucrative business for criminals and terrorists, and costs our states billions of dollars in lost revenue. Law enforcement has identified cigarette smuggling as a serious and growing problem, and the Internet has made it more challenging to stop. This legislation will help cut off a reliable source of funding for those who wish to do us harm.”
The House passed its version of the legislation last year.
