According to reports this morning, the sale of fake tan and cigars helped Irish prison tuck shops earn nearly €1 million in profits over the course of 2012.
Figures released by a Freedom of Information request has found the biggest sellers in Irish prisons are crisps, chocolate, and tobacco. However, the report revealed that cigars and fake tan are also available to inmates.
Goods are supplied to the Irish prison system by wholesale giants BWG and according to the Irish Examiner, “the prison service has demanded as part of the contract that items on sale must include Rimmel fake tan, Pearl Drops Hollywood Smile dental products, and Hamlet and Corona cigars.”
The single most popular item on sale in Irish prisons is the 12.5g pack of Amber Leaf rolling tobacco, with almost half a million packets purchases over the course of a year.
This led to the 13 prison tuck shops generating combined profits of €834,655 in the 12 months to the end of December last, which is down slightly on 2011 when profits were €859,816.
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