THE FIGHT CONTINUES

CHARLES WHITTING finds out how illicit tobacco has evolved into next-gen, and what suppliers, retailers and regulators are doing to halt its advance

The Illicit Tobacco Issue

ILLICIT tobacco is a scourge that harms society in a number of ways, whether it’s supporting organised crime, introducing unregulated and potentially toxic products into the underground marketplace or hurting the bottom line of responsible retailers at a time when every penny counts towards their bottom line.

A study by KPMG commissioned by Philip Morris Limited (PML) in 2022 found that one in five cigarettes consumed in the UK were illicit, making the UK second highest among 30 European nations for the volume of illicit cigarettes consumed.

Within the illicit marketplace, counterfeit cigarettes are now the most prevalent form of illicit cigarette in the UK, making up 34.1% of the total in 2021. These counterfeit cigarettes appear to mostly be produced within EU borders, with KPMG finding that illegal manufacturing sites are moving west in Europe.

While Imran Nasim, from

Symington Stores in Kilmarnock, has never had a problem with illicit tobacco in his area, he is concerned that the continued rising price of tobacco could see people turn elsewhere for their tobacco.

“The quality of illicit tobacco is nowhere near good enough and genuine customers are always going to buy the proper stuff with me,” he says. “But with the price of a 20-pack of cigarettes going up again, it’s going to cause problems when money is already tight.”