‘Fag houses, sweatshops and 80p cigarettes sold to children’ – Inside Sheffield’s cheap and illicit tobacco black market

Public health chiefs at Sheffield Council are putting extra investment into tackling the scourge of cheap and illicit tobacco.

Officer Sarah Hepworth said: “Vulnerable people in Sheffield are being exploited to make and sell illegal tobacco, criminal gangs are operating across Sheffield, hiding behind vulnerable individuals who are set up to take the blame.

“An investigation into a ‘fag house’ in Parson Cross found a person with physical and learning disabilities being taken advantage of to sell illegal cigarettes and tobacco from his home.

“In another case, a sweatshop was operating in the city centre with three illegal Chinese immigrants being used as slaves to produce 100,000s of fake branded cigarette pouches.

“CCTV footage from an inner city shop in Sheffield suspected of selling illegal cigarettes showed children in school uniform being sold single cigarettes for 80p each.

“Smokefree Sheffield was told by children at a local secondary school about shopkeepers selling them single cigarettes and packs at pocket money prices of £3.”

Links to serious organised crime

Research shows that 38 per cent of pupils aged 11 to 15 who were regular and occasional smokers bought their cigarettes in shops – despite the law which prohibits the sale of cigarettes to those under the age of 18.

It’s estimated smoking would drop by 10 per cent if all illegal tobacco was eradicated.

The report adds: “Cheap and illicit tobacco introduces serious organised crime into Sheffield neighbourhoods and occupies retail space and housing which would otherwise enable neighbourhood growth and prosperity.

“Most unfairly, it is the already deprived neighbourhoods where it thrives, widening the health and social inequalities in Sheffield.

“Cheap and illicit tobacco makes smoking affordable, can be the means of introducing young people into a lifelong addiction, and keeps adult smokers in addiction.”

804,000 cigarettes seized

Sheffield Trading Standards has an excellent track record in taking illicit tobacco off the streets.

During the last few years, they have closed 10 premises by revoking alcohol licences and prosecuting them.

During 2021/22 they removed 804,000 cigarettes and 259kg of loose tobacco from the streets.

But the report warns increased investment is needed for more technical and sophisticated surveillance operations.

“Traders have changed tactics from large stocks on site to smaller supplies, the exploitation of vulnerable adults and stronger links with organised crime.

“This requires longer surveillance operations to secure sufficient information to ensure robust prosecutions are invoked and alcohol licence revocations where the public health licensing objectives are breached.

“Our key goal, and measure of success, is to push the street price of illegal tobacco as close to the true retail price – current average £10.80 a packet of 20 cigarettes.

“This ensures the efforts to support smokers to quit is not undermined and to target and shut down those highest risk tobacco operations exploiting vulnerable adults and getting children hooked on cigarettes.”

The council is increasing its investment in this service by £40,000 per year – taking the annual investment into cheap and illicit enforcement action to £159,000 per year.