Smoking - The Untold Truth
Smoking is the main cause of preventable morbidity and premature death in England. It is estimated that 80,000 adults aged 35 and over die as a result of smoking in England. This translates into nearly two in ten deaths in England of people aged 35 and over. Smoking costs the NHS 5 billion pounds every year. In Yorkshire and Humber smoking costs 832 million every year and kills 500 people in hotspot areas like Rotherham.
- 1 cigarette in 5 smoked in the UK is smuggled and predicted to rise to 1 in 3 within a few year
- Tobacco smuggling costs over £3 billion a year in lost tax revenue
- Smuggled tobacco can be less than half the price of tobacco sold on the illicit market
- HMRC have seized over 14 billion cigarettes and more than 1000 tonnes of hand rolling tobacco in the UK and abroad. HMRC have broken up over 370 criminal gangs, successfully prosecuted over 2,000 people and issued over £35 million worth of Confiscation Orders.
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Those who start smoking before the age of 16 are twice as likely to continue to smoke as those who begin later in life – and are more likely to be heavier smokers. The earlier children become regular smokers, the greater their risk of developing lung cancer or heart disease if they continue smoking into adulthood
Factors linked to smoking
- Easy and unregulated access to tobacco e.g. illicit and smuggled tobacco
- Use of alcohol or drugs
- A history of truancy or exclusion from school
- A lack of educational aspirations beyond age 16
- A history of mental health problems
- Parents who smoke
- Deprivation and unemployment
- Tobacco pricing and availability
- Tobacco industry advertising and other promotional tactics including product placement e.g. films
High Profit, Low Risk –Smuggled and counterfeit tobacco
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| Cheap imported “illegal cigarettes” are likely to be counterfeit. |
That nice man who is selling cheap cigarettes isn’t bothered if the buyer is under 18 years of age.
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| Counterfeit cigarettes have no preservatives and go off quicker. |
South Yorkshire is a hotspot for illicit and smuggled tobacco and this activity undermines Rotherham Council's enforcement team. |
| Counterfeit cigarettes are produced in sweat shops using child labour. |
Illicit and smuggled tobacco is not a victimless crime. |
| Counterfeit cigarettes are linked to both criminal activities and organised crime. |
Illicit and smuggled tobacco undermines the good work the NHS undertakes to support smokers to stop smoking. |
| Tobacco smuggling damages local businesses by undercutting them and by evading tax. |
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