A national campaign has been launched to raise awareness about illegal tobacco in Wales and is offering free resources to help Welsh schools. The campaign has been spearheaded by the tobacco control organisation ASH Cymru, in partnership with the Welsh Government and Trading Standards Wales.

The new campaign, titled ‘No Ifs No Butts’, seeks to educate about the harms illegal tobacco poses to children, public health, and the wider community. The initiative has been launched as 2.84 million cigarettes and 404kg pouches of hand-rolling tobacco were seized off the Welsh illegal market last year.

Illegal tobacco sales often occur in shops, private homes, pubs and online on social media. Sometimes referred to ‘illicit’ tobacco, these products can take many forms, which include:

• Cheap genuine tobacco smuggled into the UK with no-duty paid (packages often display foreign languages and a lack of health warnings).
• Counterfeits or fake cigarettes, which look like well-known brands but are made illegally.
• ‘Cheap whites’, which are mass produced in one country and smuggled into another.
• Cigarettes sold individually instead of in packets.

Illegal tobacco remains a big problem in Wales, with research revealing that almost half of Welsh smokers have been offered illegal tobacco.  In addition, studies conducted in the Northeast of England have shown that up to 73% of children have been offered illegal tobacco in certain regions of the UK.

Illegal tobacco often presents a gateway for children to start smoking. Frequently sold at ‘pocket money prices’, illegal sales can undermine many of the UK’s tobacco control measures. For example, low prices, underaged sales, and an absence of health and display warnings comprise many sales on the illegal market. The absence of such regulation makes it easier for children to access tobacco, which in turn can entrap children into lifelong addiction.

On a global scale, research has shown that childhood smoking can increase a child’s risks of continued tobacco use, and often results in higher tobacco dependency in later life. Prolonged tobacco use, that often extends beyond childhood, ultimately creates poorer health outcomes as children progress to adulthood. For context, the World Health Organisation estimates that one in two long-term smokers will die as a direct consequence of smoking.

Beyond health concerns, the illegal tobacco market can also be seen to feed into other areas of crime, with reports marking links with gangs, drugs and human-trafficking. In 2015, a report published by HMRC marked that the illegal market also harms legitimate local business and costs the UK taxpayer over £2 billion in lost revenues each year. 

To combat the health and social harms of illegal tobacco, ASH Cymru has created a bank of school resources which are being distributed across Wales. The resources have been created as part of the national ‘No Ifs No Butts’ campaign, launched to crackdown on the Welsh illegal tobacco market. The resources have been designed for primary and secondary schoolchildren in Wales, and relay:

• How tobacco can impact child health.
• How to identify illegal tobacco in the community.
• How to report illegal tobacco and illegal sellers anonymously in Wales.

The resources are available in Welsh and will sign-post where students and schools can seek help and support. Materials are free, and are available in the following forms: posters, leaflets, and online materials.

To compliment the resources, the Welsh Government have commissioned the first pan-Wales survey to assess illegal tobacco prevalence within Welsh youth. The survey will provide critical market intelligence which will help steer efforts towards areas which need support. The survey will update research collected in 2014, and will uncover how children in 2022 view, access and consume illegal tobacco in Wales.

ASH Cymru CEO Suzanne Cass commented on the importance of teaching children about illegal tobacco. She said: “It is vital that we educate and protect Welsh children from products which can cause them harm.

‘The new materials relay how children and schools can identify, report, and seek support for illegal tobacco. The accompanying survey will help Wales tailor support for our children, and in turn identify areas which need this support most”.

Roger Mapleson, Lead Officer for Trading Standards Wales on Tobacco, highlighted the merits of the new survey and resources. He said: “We know childhood presents a period of high-risk for smoking. Illegal sellers exploit this vulnerable age category via cheap sales, easy access and through a disregard for age of sale restrictions.

‘The survey and resources ultimately present an opportunity to educate children on the harms of illegal tobacco. Through highlighting the harms, we can empower our children to make informed decisions, which in turn will hopefully lead to a day when this market is no longer an issue’’.

If you’re interested in free resources for your school, ASH Cymru can be contacted via: communications@ashwales.org.uk. The organisation also provides free resources on vaping, cannabis and other related issues which face Welsh schoolchildren.

If you suspect or have witnessed the sale of illegal tobacco in Wales, an anonymous report can be submitted at: noifs-nobutts.co.uk

References

• The campaign website can be accessed here.
• 84 million cigarettes and 404kg pouches of hand-rolling tobacco Welsh 2021 seizure stats found here.
• Illegal tobacco survey conducted by ASH Wales and NEMS (2014),showing half of Welsh smokers offered illegal tobacco, here.
• Illegal tobacco survey conducted in the North East of England (FRESH), showing 73% of children offered illegal tobacco, here.
• Illegal tobacco general information (sales, forms and harms), here.
• Research showing childhood smoking increases risk of initiation, dependency, and higher tobacco use here, here & here.
• WHO stats (1 in 2 smokers will die from smoking related disease), found here.
• Links to how illegal tobacco feeds into other areas of crime, can be found here, hereand here.
• HMRC report voicing how the illegal market can harm legitimate business, found here.