Millions of illegal cigarettes containing up to 500% higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals are flooding the black market and as a result are undermining efforts to reduce smoking, councils have said.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 370 councils, said people should think twice about buying counterfeit cigarettes because they contain far higher levels of toxic ingredients such as tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, lead and arsenic than their genuine counterparts.
They also contain up to 500% more of the toxic metal cadmium than brand-name cigarettes.
Manchester, Croydon and Coventry have recently seen raids and prosecutions by councils, with trading standards officers finding illegal hidden stashes.
Simon Blackburn, chairman of the LGA's safer and stronger communities board, said: "Illegal tobacco being sold cheaply through the black market by rogue traders is funding organised criminal gangs, damaging legitimate traders and robbing the taxpayer of more than £2bn that could be spent on schools, hospitals and caring for the elderly.
"No cigarettes are good for you, and fake cigarettes contain even higher levels of cancer-causing toxins than standard cigarettes, so people should think twice about buying them.
"Any shopkeeper thinking of selling illegal tobacco should think again."
A Department of Health spokesman added: "Smoking is the biggest preventable killer in our country. Illegal cigarettes are extremely dangerous - even more so than normal cigarettes because they are not checked and could contain anything."
(Sky News)
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