Illicit tobacco Jim McCluskey- Public Health and Public Protection Department Middlesbrough Council

Why is illicit tobacco important? Smokefree Alliance priority Undermines all the tobacco control measures Early starters / hard to quit Linked to organised crime Tackling the supply of illicit tobacco is one of the Smokefree Alliance priorities. The trade in illicit tobacco undermines all the tobacco control measures such as price, taxation, plain packaging, graphic health warnings, age controls put in place to reduce smoking prevalence. The availability and cheap prices of illicit tobacco make it easier for non-smokers, particularly children, to start smoking, encourage people to smoke more and make it harder for them to quit. The illicit tobacco trade is often part of organised criminal activity and is linked to a range of other illegal trades including the supply of smuggled or counterfeit alcohol and consumer goods, people-trafficking and drug smuggling.

The picture of the illicit market in Middlesbrough Ongoing seizures Prosecution / Closure orders Multi-agency working Retailer compliance KEEP IT OUT Seizure of 123179 cigarettes,36.66 kg hand rolling tobacco, 10 prosecutions,4 court forfeiture orders, 4 ongoing cases & 6 closure orders. Intelligence supplied to national crime agency resulted in seizure of over 1 million cigarettes & conviction of a major supplier Advice provided to 263 retailers about the new tobacco & related products and standardised packaging legislation. 73 compliance visits carried out after implementation of regulations. Participation in regional KEEP IT OUT promotional campaign to report illicit tobacco

Middlesbrough Issues Tackling the supply of Illicit tobacco Growth of shisha market Engagement with schools Reducing second hand smoke - Smoking in public places, schools, cars, homes

Compliant cigarette packaging

The Challenges of Tackling Illicit Tobacco

More challenges of Illicit tobacco