ISSUES WITH PLAIN PACKAGING - ILLICIT TRADE
Made in squalid conditions
Counterfeit cigarettes are often made in squalid conditions, with little regard to their content. These sites have been discovered throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America. In the EU alone, since 2005, 30 factories producing counterfeit brands were closed down. This is only the tip of the iceberg.
Illicit trade of tobacco products: compiled video footage
While all cigarettes are dangerous and cause disease, counterfeit cigarettes have been reported to contain rat droppings as well as higher levels of toxic chemicals.
The UK Customs have highlighted their concern in a public education campaign.
So if you are tempted to buy cheap smuggled cigarettes on the street or in the pub - what you're doing is not only funding organized crime, it can also be even more dangerous for your health than real cigarettes
Source: United Kingdom Customs Minister
In Australia, researchers found that regular users of illicit tobacco ("chop-chop") “report significantly worse health than smokers of licit tobacco".