Thank you for your interest in the empty discarded pack (EDP) data. These data were recently used in our research on the prevalence of illicit trade in cigarettes. The dataset available on this site is a large, novel set of data assembled from several EDP surveys. These initial data contain 106,500 observations and are a combination of 23 collections in 10 U.S. cities conducted from 2010 through 2014. The observations include variables about the collected cigarette packs, such as the brand, location found (to the zip code level), tax status, and counterfeit status. Variables regarding the tax status of the cigarette packs include whether the tax status could be determined, if the state and local taxes were paid, and if counterfeit tax stamps were present.
These new data are being made available by BOTEC Analysis, LLC to academic researchers studying illicit trade in tobacco products. Original funding for these data was provided to Cornerstone Research through a contract with Altria Client Services, LLC, a subsidiary of Altria Group Inc.
