H&F protects consumers from the additional dangers of counterfeit and non-duty paid cigarettes, and tobacco retailers who comply with the law from being undercut by those who flout it.
How illegal tobacco products harm society
Cheap tobacco encourages smoking and makes it harder to quit. Health warnings are often absent or in a foreign language. Counterfeit and some non-duty paid cigarettes will not meet the requirement to self-extinguish if dropped, increasing the risk of house fires.
Illegal vapes can be particularly attractive to children and can lead to users acquiring a nicotine addiction.
Counterfeit alcohol – particularly vodka – can be very hazardous to manufacture and consume. If the 'wrong type' of alcohol is used, eyesight and other organs can fail, causing short-term or long-term ill health, or even fatalities.
How to file a report
Report any suspicions of illegal products in H&F to Citizens Advice. All reports are confidential and your details will only be shared with Trading Standards. Please provide contact details as we may need more information.
Tell-tale signs of illegal products include:
- no health warning pictures on tobacco products
- a strange taste or smell, crooked or badly printing labelling on alcohol products
- under the counter sales of unusually low priced goods
- no 'ecid' number on the packaging for e-cigarettes (no product without one is authorised for the UK market)
Contact details
Please report any leads to our partners in Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 or online via the Citizens Advice website. Please leave your contact details when you do. We will never reveal who has made the complaint, but it may be important to be able to talk further with you.
Alternatively, you can report matters anonymously (or for supplies in other boroughs) via the London Trading Standards website.