"Illegal tobacco makes it easier for children to start smoking"

An Advertiser poll revealed 55 per cent of readers had bought black market tobacco.

It follows a trading standards operation which saw 10,000 cigarettes worth £2,000 uncovered in raids last month.

Terri Roche, Rotherham Borough Council’s director of public health, said: “Smoking is an addiction that takes hold largely in childhood and adolescence, with the vast majority of smokers starting to use tobacco regularly before the age of 18. 

“The illegal tobacco market makes it easier for children to start smoking and get hooked through access to illegal tobacco at pocket money prices. 

“We want to remind readers that all tobacco, legal and illegal, is harmful; containing more than 4,000 chemicals, 60 of which are known to cause cancer.

“Smoking still remains the major cause of preventable death in Rotherham, killing one in two people, and in others causes irreversible long-term health damage. 

“Cheap and illegal tobacco typically smoked by poorer communities, pregnant women and children who are more sensitive to price further perpetuates health inequalities.”

Ms Roche also said illegal cigarettes can increase the risk of fire as they can continue to burn.

She added: “It’s thought a significant proportion of cigarettes smoked in South Yorkshire fail to meet the rules, either because they are counterfeit or because they have been brought in from outside the EU. 

“Cigarettes like this dramatically increase your chances of suffering a house fire, with smoking-related fires remaining one of the biggest causes of house fire deaths in the UK.

“We are working with our partners to create a smoke-free generation by 2025 in Rotherham and this includes cracking down on illegal tobacco.”

Tobacco firm JTI also stressed the health risks of smoking illicit cigarettes and rolling tobacco.

Steve Wilkins, the company’s anti-illicit trade director, said: “JTI fully supports efforts to rid our streets of illegal tobacco and stop criminals infiltrating our communities, and would urge local residents to work with community groups and trading standards to eradicate this type of activity.”

Anyone with any information should report it to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.