What is it?

All tobacco products are harmful.  Whether they are bought legitimately from a retailer or illegally on the black market, all tobacco products contain over 4,000 chemicals, at least 60 of which are known to cause cancer.

Illegal tobacco products are cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco or niche products (such as beedis/bidis and sheesha/shisha) that have been smuggled, bootlegged or are counterfeit.

Smuggled

These are foreign brands brought into the UK illegally to be sold on the black market. Things to look out for include one or more of the following:

• Foreign brand names such as Raquel and Jin Ling
• Cheaper prices - less than £3.50 for a pack of 20
• Foreign health warnings
• No picture health warnings
• Unusual taste

Bootlegged

These are cigarettes and tobacco usually brought into the UK in large quantities from countries with lower tax and illegally resold - as any cigarettes brought in from outside the UK should be for personal use only. Things to look out for include one or more of the following:

• Popular brands such as Lambert and Butler and Superkings
• Foreign health warnings
• Cheaper prices - less than £3.50 for a pack of 20

Counterfeit (fake cigarettes)

These are cheap cigarettes that are made to look like popular UK brands. Things to look out for include one or more of the following:

• Popular brands such as Lambert and Butler and Superkings
• Unusual packaging - spelling mistakes, wrong logos, foreign health warnings
• No picture health warnings
• Cheaper prices - less than £3.50 for a pack of 20

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