Tobacco – counterfeit, foreign labelled or illicit tobacco
Report sellers of illicit and counterfeit tobacco to Trading Standards
You may know illegal tobacco by terms such as ‘dodgy fags, fake cigs, cheap tobacco, foreign cigs’ etc. These terms are used to describe cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco which has either been smuggled into the country and avoids taxation or is not made by legitimate tobacco manufacturers.
Trading Standards in Milton Keynes contribute to the national fight against illegal tobacco. The sale of duty evaded, and counterfeit tobacco products is a way that under 18’s can often get hold of these products and then suffer the health consequence sof smoking. The money from these sales is often funding organised crime groups, which in turn can result in an increase in instances of other criminal activities in your local area.
There are also fire safety implications as illicit cigarettes do not comply with legal requirements designed to reduce the chances of un-attended lit cigarettes starting a fire.
Furthermore, a high percentage of illegal tobacco has been found to be counterfeit. Counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco can contain higher yields of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide which make them even more dangerous.
Cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco in this country must be sold in a standardised format packaging and the UK duty-paid mark must be displayed. The packaging must be a specific shape and in a certain colour; all other colours, trademarks, logos and promotional graphics are prohibited.
The information such as the health warnings must also be in English.
Further guidance
Further guidance with images of correct packaging can be found in the Government guidance
Trading Standards Team contact information
0808 223 1133 (freephone) – Consumer advice and complaints
Civic, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes MK9 3EJ
If you buy a tobacco product and the packaging does not look right, or it is not labelled in English you might like to consider reporting the seller to us (see above).
National and regional levels of smoking and smoking related diseases continue to fall because of higher taxation, better education, support in quitting and laws limiting where people can smoke. However, illegal and counterfeit tobacco is cheap and readily available and keeps people smoking.
To report in Milton Keynes: if you have identified someone involved in the sale of illegal, foreign labelled or counterfeit tobacco please let us know by completing this form.
To report in Central Bedfordshire: if you have identified someone involved in the sale of illegal, foreign labelled or counterfeit tobacco please let us know by completing this form https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/60/trading_standards/110/underage_sales_-_trading_standards
To report in Bedford: if you have identified someone involved in the sale of illegal, foreign labelled or counterfeit tobacco please let us know by sending an email: https://www.bedford.gov.uk/business/trading-standards/underage-sales
You can remain anonymous when reporting but please give your name if you want to be kept up to date with the outcome of any investigation activities that happen because of your report, your details will never be shared with the parties being investigated.
This article was written by Milton Keynes City Council