Buying of illegal cigarettes soars as cost of living crisis bites

The proportion of smokers buying cheap cigarettes from illegal sources has almost doubled since 2023, according to new analysis. This significant increase is believed to reflect the rising costs of living that have affected households in recent years, researchers believe.

Although overall data shows the size of the illicit tobacco market is not growing, experts have warned the government “not to be complacent about past successes” in the fight against illegal sales.

The study, led by UCL and funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK), examined survey responses from 9,996 people aged 16 and over identified as current smokers.

The findings revealed that while the majority (76.9 percent) reported purchasing tobacco legally, almost a quarter (23.1 percent) admitted to using illegal sources at least once in the previous six months. This represents a significant increase from 12.2 percent in 2023.

These illegal purchases included buying cheap tobacco from friends, buying “over-the-counter” products from newsagents or corner shops, or buying discount-priced cigarettes from people in their local area.

Some participants also reported that they bought cigarettes from vendors in bars or from people offering them cheaply on the street.

Professor Sarah Jackson, from the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Healthcare, said: “Our findings show that more smokers are turning to illicit sources of tobacco compared to 2023.

“This may partly reflect the financial pressures many people have faced in recent years as people look for ways to reduce the cost of smoking, including switching to cheaper legal products, trying to cut down or quit altogether.”

The analysis also revealed that some people surveyed were under the legal sales age.

73.6 percent of young people aged 16-17 who buy tobacco said they bought it from grocery stores or newsstands.

Prof Jackson said: “We were concerned by the number of underage participants who reported purchasing tobacco from ordinary retail outlets.”

He added that he was hopeful that the Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Bill would make it more difficult for young people to access cigarettes as the age of sale gradually increases.

But Prof Jackson added: “The success of the policy will depend not only on changing the law, but also on ensuring the law is complied with.

“Effective enforcement and open communication with retailers and the public will be vital, along with continuing efforts to reduce demand by supporting more people to quit smoking or switch to less harmful forms of nicotine.”

Elsewhere, researchers emphasized that the findings do not indicate that the illicit market is expanding.

HM Revenue and Customs figures published earlier this month show a record 1.9 billion smuggled cigarettes worth £1.1 billion were seized in the year to April.

Senior author Prof Jamie Brown, also from UCL, said: “While our findings show that an increasing proportion of smokers are buying some or all of their tobacco from illicit sources, this does not mean that the illicit market itself is much larger.

“Our survey looked at whether people bought tobacco from different sources, but did not look at how often they did so or how much tobacco they bought from each source, which are important factors in the size of the illicit market.”

CRUK’s chief policy and information officer, Dr. Ian Walker said: “Although this research does not indicate that the illicit tobacco market is growing, it is worrying that, amid a falling proportion of smokers, an increasing number of people are purchasing tobacco from illicit sources.

“This highlights the need for stronger sanctions.

“Tobacco still causes around 160 cases of cancer every day in the UK and it is vital to take action to reduce smoking rates.

“The Tobacco and Vaping Act will help protect future generations from the harms of tobacco, but the UK Government must support this historic legislation with support to help people quit smoking, as well as continued investment to tackle illegal tobacco sales.”

Reacting to the findings published in Nicotine and Tobacco Inquiry, Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), who was not involved in the study, said: “This study should serve as a warning to the Government not to become complacent about past successes in controlling illicit tobacco.

“Although the findings do not indicate a major expansion of the illicit market, they do suggest a need to closely monitor trends and continue efforts to prevent illicit tobacco sales.”