Why foreign packs need a health warning

All tobacco is bad for you, but there are hidden dangers with a lot of the illegal tobacco on offer. Many of the packs being sold after being smuggled in from overseas either don't have any health warnings at all or the warnings are in foreign languages such as Ukrainian, Russian, Chinese and Danish. These brands include Jin Ling and Bon International.

They also don't have the graphic picture warnings which packs made for sale in this country must carry. These show some of the horrific damage which tobacco can cause to your body, such as lung and mouth cancers. What's the big deal, you might think? Well, there's evidence that these warnings have motivated many people to quit smoking. Young people are being sold these packs without any warnings and hooked into a habit which kills half of long term smokers.

That's why we've launched another run of our Get Some Answers advertising campaign. If you come across cigarette packs or tobacco which don't have warnings written in English, or which don't have a warning at all, just think about who's behind the trade - people who don't care about the damage they cause. If you're concerned and have information you'd like to pass on please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or click here.