On Monday Smokefree South West, in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council, launched the latest stage of its campaign to highlight the dangers that illegal tobacco poses to South Gloucestershire.

Illegal tobacco sells for less than half the tax paid price of legally sold tobacco. The problems include:

• impact on legitimate traders
• makes it easier for children and young people to start smoking as it is readily available at pocket money prices.
• brings crime into communities – the criminal gangs selling it also sell other illegal products
• discourages smokers from quitting

Illegal tobacco is linked to low-level and large-scale organised crime, nationally and internationally, including smuggling of other illegal goods such as drugs, alcohol and weapons. It goes hand in hand with child exploitation and money laundering and particularly targets poor and disadvantaged communities.You can read more at http://www.illegal-tobacco.co.uk/

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