Illegal Tobacco Dealers Target Cornwall

Cornwall's Trading Standards Officers are supporting a new campaign to warn the public about illegal tobacco after Cornwall has been identified as one of the top areas in the south west for sales of such tobacco.   

Research shows that people have moved away from dealing in drugs to dealing in tobacco as the profit margins remain the same but the punishment, if caught, is lower.

Some of the problems caused by illegal tobacco include:

Smuggled tobacco sold cheaply is creating an inexpensive source for children and young people and does not test the age of buyers as legitimate businesses do - the Department of Health reports that the average age of people taking up smoking is currently 15 years old

Such tobacco also allows adults to continue smoking when they otherwise could not afford it.

Some counterfeit tobacco has been tested to find that it contains 70% more chemicals than legitimate tobacco

Buying illegal tobacco is affecting local businesses' profitability and is inviting criminality into the local community. For more info, contact Cornwall Trading Standards......