At least one million illegal cigarettes were seized across the North East last year, according to new figures from trading standards.
And on the back of those shocking figures, health campaigners around the region have joined forces with trading standards and the police in our area to renew a campaign urging more is done to tackle the issue. Illegal tobacco constitutes 11% of the market in our region, and campaign group Fresh have highlighted how "cheap, illegal" tobacco makes health inequalities worse.
The renewed Keep It Out campaign is asking members of the public to report illegal tobacco to the authorities and help get it off the streets. Operation CeCe - a partnership between trading standards and HMRC saw 1,030,900 illegal cigarettes and 340kg of illegal hand-rolling tobacco seized over 2021/2022 across the LA7 group of local authorities from County Durham northwards.
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Illegal tobacco can be tobacco brands which do not have a legal market in this country, genuine brands which have been sold without paying duty, or even counterfeit goods created to ape more recognisable items. Illegal cigarette sales often target children to get them "hooked".
Ailsa Rutter, director of Fresh, said: "We know that two thirds of long term smokers will die from smoking, regardless of where they buy their tobacco, how much they pay for it or whether they smoke cigarettes or roll-ups. But cheap, illegal tobacco keeps smokers smoking, gets kids hooked and makes health inequalities even worse, which is the last thing we need right now. Dealers in illegal tobacco are linked to all kinds of criminal activity and really don’t care if local children buy it."
She has called for measures such as the introduction of tobacco licensing - like alcohol licensing - to be be brought in, so that anyone found selling illegal goods could have their license removed. Ms Rutter added: "No-one wants local criminals profiting from addiction or kids getting hooked which is why so many people are choosing to report where illegal sales are taking place. Increasing tobacco prices is the most effective way of preventing children starting to smoke and to encourage smokers to quit."
Chief Inspector Richard Gentry of Northumbria Police, added: "We carry out a number of joint operations and activity to take illegal goods off the streets. Some people may think the selling of goods such as illicit tobacco is a victimless crime, but quite often these goods can be a product of organised crime. Groups can supply them into the region with the intention of making money, which enables them to then continue to fund illicit activities.
"We are committed to pursuing criminals and protecting our communities as part of Operation Sentinel, which is our collaborative approach to tackling serious and organised crime, and we will continue to work with all our partners to prevent and disrupt these groups."
Owen Cleugh, Durham County Council’s public protection manager, continued: "Illegal tobacco has an adverse impact on our communities, being linked to other organised criminality, as well as on young people, due to its accessibility."
Smoking rates have also nearly halved in the North East from 29% in 2005 to 15% in 2022. However, research shows around 11% of all tobacco smoked is illegal, and 7 in 10 children aged 14-17 who smoke have been offered and have tried illegal tobacco with so-called "tab houses" and shops the two main sources for children and adults.
To report a tip-off about illegal tobacco visit www.keep-it-out.co.uk or telephone 0300 999 0000.
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