However, the fees declined sharply in 2009 due to a decline in card income resulting from lower cash advances and lower interchange fees caused by changes in consumption patterns in the recessionary environment.

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Yet according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), published on June 23rd, changes in consumption patterns and production techniques mean that the trade is becoming less globalised and somewhat less alluring.

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Changes in electric use by demand-side resources from their normal consumption patterns in response to changes in the price of electricity, or to incentive payments designed to induce lower electricity use at times of high wholesale market prices or when system reliability is jeopardized.

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"It excludes the majority of housing costs faced by homeowners and differences in calculation mean it may be considered a better representation of the way consumers change their consumption patterns in response to price changes, " the 2010 Budget document explained.

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