Illegal Sales
Price increases
This has been a highly successful way of reducing smoking prevalence. From the second half of the 1990's, the impact of tax increases in the UK on tobacco consumption was greatly reduced when cigarettes began to be smuggled into this country on a massive scale. Increased smuggling leads to the wide availability of cheap cigarettes to the poorest people, meaning the reduction in smoking rates - particularly amongst disadvantaged groups - is being undermined.
Duty Paid
Since the 1 July 2000, the law requires that “UK DUTY PAID” is shown on all packets of cigarettes and pouches of hand-rolling tobacco manufactured,or imported, for sale in the UK. It is a criminal offence to possess, display, sell or deal in products which do not carry a duty paid fiscal mark. It will also be a criminal offence for a manager to sell, or allow the sale on his premises of products which do not carry a duty paid fiscal mark. The maximum penalty for both offences is £5,000.
Information about Illegal Sales
If you have information concerning the illegal sales of tobacco goods, you can contact your local Customs and Excise office in confidence at the following freepost address:-
Customs Confidential, Freepost, SEA 9391, P.O. Box 100, DA12 2BR
Customs and Excise Free 24 hour Hotline - Tel 0800 59 5000
For more information on smuggling and counterfeit cigarettes please see the Reducing availability of tobacco products and regulating supply document on the Department of Health website.
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