The campaign to tackle cheap illegal tobacco across the South West is coming to Eastgate Shopping Centre in Gloucester this week.
Illegal tobacco is known to make it easier for children to start smoking, discount because it is sold at pocket money prices.To raise awareness of the of the issue, Gloucestershire County Council is working with Smokefree South West on a campaign about illegal tobacco, encouraging fewer people to buy it and more people to report it.
Trained staff will be talking to the public at Eastgate Shopping Centre between 10am and 5pm on Thursday 7th, Friday 8th and Saturday 9th August to highlight the dangers of illegal tobacco.
Visitors will also be able to meet Phoebe and Scamp, two tobacco detection spaniels from specialist search dog services, B.W.Y. Canine, who will be giving demonstrations on Friday 8th August. Between them, they have sniffed out well over half a million pounds worth of illegal tobacco.
Cllr Dorcas Binns, Cabinet member for public health said, “Smoking is a serious public health issue and cheap illegal tobacco just makes it even harder to keep our children away from harm. That is why Gloucestershire County Council’s public health and trading standards teams are working together to help tackle the problem.
“We know that people in Gloucestershire want to help protect their children, so this campaign will help them identify cheap illegal tobacco so that together we can keep it out of our communities.”
Selling illegal tobacco is a criminal offence. Anyone wishing to report the selling of illegal tobacco can contact Gloucestershire Trading Standards on 01452 887655 or email tradstds@gloucestershire.gov.uk, report it anonymously online at www.stop-illegal-tobacco.co.uk or call the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. They cannot trace your call and will never ask for your name.