Hull has been branded the ‘capital of counterfeit cigs’.

That was a week ago. Since then the Tobacco Manufacturers Association has published the results of its annual survey of 6,000 smokers which include the revelation that there has been a surge in illicit tobacco consumption in the last year.

Furthermore, 80% of respondents admitted they had purchased illegal tobacco in the last twelve months, while one in five said they buy illicit tobacco every week.

Meanwhile the Hull story rumbles on, locally at least, and yesterday I was interviewed by BBC Radio Humberside. This led to a further interview on Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), the BBC’s local evening news programme.

The radio interview was longer so I was able to comment at greater length, but my message in both interviews boiled down to two points.

One, high rates of taxation on tobacco are driving people to the black market. Two, a generational tobacco ban will make the problem even worse because, as the age of sale goes up every year, more and more people will be forced to go in search of illegal tobacco.

Also on the programme, in the report that preceded my interview, was Hazel Cheeseman (above), CEO of ASH. “The biggest difference between legal and illegal products,” said Hazel helpfully, “is the price, so we see products that are smuggled into the country from other countries where they have less tax on the products.”

Thanks, Hazel! What she didn’t say is that one of the reasons for the high price of tobacco in the UK is persistent lobbying by the likes of ASH for higher tax on tobacco. Indeed, not content with the current rates of tax – over 80% on a pack of 20 cigarettes – ASH want the government to introduce a levy on the tobacco companies that would almost certainly be passed on to the consumer, making cigarettes and other tobacco products even more expensive than they are already, thereby adding fuel to the black market.

Likewise, ASH conveniently ignore the potential consequences of the generational ban which will not only increase illicit trade but will almost certainly result in a further decline in tax revenue. Once again, ‘smoke free’ ideology will trump common sense, but that’s what we’re up against.

‘Smoke free’ ideology in action

Talking tobacco