Officials are estimating that 40,000 prostitutes will head towards South Africa to work during the 2010 World Cup.

South African officials are striving to obtain 1 billion condoms to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, where an estimated 50 percent of all domestic sex workers are infected.

450,000 foreigners are expected to attend the World Cup.

Sources:
Joe Tacopino, “40,000 prostitutes bound for South Africa for the 2010 World Cup, officials warn,” New York Daily News, March 6, 2010.
“UK gives South Africa millions of condoms,” BBC News, March 9, 2010.

Web video hosting sites similar to YouTube has severely impacted the porn industry, according to executives.   In 2009, DVD sales decreased by 20 percent, with Internet piracy playing a key role.

There are up to 1,000 “tubes” sites that either play pirated movies or amateur content. Industry leader Vivid Entertainment stated that it sends several hundreds of take down notices to websites that are pirating their content.

Source:  Jon Swartz, “Free porn on ‘tube sites’ puts a big dent in industry,” USA Today, March 2, 2010.

In 2009, Customs Agents in Ireland seized about 200 million cigarettes attempting to be smuggled into the country.  In previous years, Customs seized 135 million in 2008, 74 million in 2007, and 52 million in 2006.

One out of every four cigarettes sold in Ireland is believed to have been smuggled into the country.

Source:  Paul Cullen, “Tobacco smuggling ‘now epidemic’,” Irish Times, February 17, 2010.

There are an estimated 1,000 prostitutes working in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Source:  Karen Dion, “Red Light, ” Honolulu Weekly, February 10, 2010.

The Government of the United Kingdom losses an estimated $1.5 Billion (1 Billion British Pounds) in lost taxes to alcohol smuggling activities.

The smuggling of beer alone creates losses of $1 Billion (750 Million Pounds).

Source:  ePolitix, “The £1bn alcohol fraud problem,” Yahoo UK, February 9, 2010.

A task force in Ohio reported that 1,000 children who were born in Ohio are forced to work in the sex trade.

Source:  Associated Press, “Report: Hundreds forced into labor, sex in Ohio,” Washington Post, February 10, 2010.

A task force in Ohio reported that up to 800 immigrants are trafficked into Ohio each year and are forced to work in the sex trade or in sweatshops.

Source:  Associated Press, “Report: Hundreds forced into labor, sex in Ohio,” Washington Post, February 10, 2010.

According to the AFP, there are about 500 prostitutes working in Vancouver, Canada.

Source:  AFP, “Vancouver’s poor – dark side of the Games,” Google News, February 10, 2010.

One in five adult smokers and one in three minors between the ages of 14 to 17 has admitted to buying cheap illegal cigarettes on the black market in the United Kingdom.

Source:  Denis Campbell, “Smuggled tobacco is a source of ill-health on the cheap,” Guardian, February 10, 2010.

Up to 10 percent of the 47 Billion cigarettes sold in the United Kingdom is smuggled and sold illegally.

Source:  Dennis Campbell, “Smuggled tobacco is a source of ill-health on the cheap,” Guardian, February 10, 2010.