The findings suggest rising tobacco duties are meaning more and more Islanders are opting to buy cigarettes, either themselves or through friends, as they enter or leave the Island.
The president of Finance and Economics, Senator Terry Le Sueur, said he could not confirm the figure, but said even if it was £4 million his department realised the sum was significant.
He added that the aim of the States to encourage people to quit through Imp?t increases could be backfiring because people were simply dodging domestic duty.
However, Health president Senator Stuart Syvret said health always had to come before revenue.
‘I have yet to read the detailed analysis in the report,’ he said, ‘but on the face of it I am highly sceptical concerning some of the assertions.
As far as we are concerned from a health perspective, the issue of revenue raised is an entirely secondary issue and the effect of pricing as far as we are concerned is to encourage people to give up smoking.’
