Smoke Free Birmingham

Counterfeit tobacco – it’s fake!

Counterfeit tobacco is a fake product.  It is made by criminal gangs often in Eastern Europe, Russia and the Far East.  Although counterfeit tobacco products such as cigarettes may look like the real thing, they most definitely are not.  If you buy cheap cigarettes, the chances are they are counterfeit.

Counterfeit cigarettes amount to about one-third of the total cigarette market and are the world’s most widely smuggled legal consumer product.  Between 2003 and 2004, 54% of seized cigarettes in the United Kingdom (UK) were counterfeit. 

About 12 million adults in Great Britain smoke cigarettes - 26% of men and 23% of women.  The adult smoking population in Birmingham is higher than the national average between 28 - 29% with smoking rates in the most deprived areas in excess of 50%.  Evidence shows that half of all long term smokers will eventually be killed by their habit.

Counterfeit tobacco maintains a cheap and unregulated supply which undermines the Government’s policy of using taxation to sustain a high price which reduces access to tobacco products and reduces smoking, especially in the young. It is estimated that the trade in illicit cigarettes and tobacco costs the UK £3 billion in revenue every year.

Smoke free Birmingham are working together on a joint venture between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Birmingham City Council’s Trading Standards (BCCTS) team.  The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the potential health risks of smoking, in particular, unregulated counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco, and to undermine the appeal of counterfeit tobacco to current and potential customers.

Many people are not aware that all cigarettes contain highly toxic ingredients, such as Arsenic, Formaldehyde, Benzene and Cadmium – but counterfeit cigarettes often contain far higher quantities.

If you are approached by some one selling cheap cigarettes in your street or workplace call the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it