Residents fall ill after smoking illegal tobacco

There is a spate of residents in our area falling ill after smoking illegal tobacco, and they are being urged to also report it to trading standards.

There are serious concerns that a batch of tobacco products has become contaminated, with Powys County Council’s Trading Standards Service saying those falling ill should seek immediate medical attention.

Clive Jones, the council’s Professional Lead for Trading Standards, Community Safety and Emergency Planning, said: “We have received intelligence that members of the public have experienced immediate health problems after purchasing, what we believe are, illegal tobacco products.

“These illegal products are often counterfeit and do pose a major health risk as they often contain high levels of heavy metals such as cadmium or in matters where illness follows smoking, are contaminated with high levels of mould.

“I would urge anyone who has recently purchased tobacco in the north of the county and immediately suffered illness to seek medical attention or advice.

“We also want those members of the public who have suffered after purchasing these products, or family members/acquaintances to report it to our service. These reports will be treated anonymously.

“Combating the supply of counterfeit and illegal tobacco is one of our ongoing priorities of our service as it provides a threat to the economy of Powys as well as increasing the health risk for smokers. Please report by email to trading.standards@powys.gov.uk or by phone to 01597 826031.”