A new poll shows that 85% of the public have heard of illegal tobacco, up from 83% in 2025, and nearly a third (31%) have been offered illegal tobacco products.
The research, conducted by JTI, was released to mark the one-year anniversary of the firm’s ‘It Costs More Than You Think’ illegal tobacco awareness campaign.
A major enforcement and accountability gap was also clear from the research, with 82% stating there is not enough enforcement to stop illegal tobacco, and 80% saying politicians are not doing enough to tackle the black market.
The research identified that the cost-of-living crisis is also impacting behaviour with half (50%) of people surveyed saying that the current economic climate makes buying illegal tobacco more justifiable.
Tax rises are also widely seen as fuelling the illegal market, with 80% surveyed believing that rising taxes will bolster demand for illegal tobacco.
In 2026, the ‘It Costs More Than You Think’ campaign saw test purchasers visiting independent stores selling tobacco across 14 UK locations to understand the scale of illegal tobacco on local high streets. So far, 219 stores were found to sell illegal tobacco – all evidence gathered from the test purchases has been handed to Trading Standards and HM Revenue & Customs.
In the past year, JTI UK has run over 1,044 public-facing adverts across digital and OOH as part of the campaign to raise awareness of the threat of illegal tobacco.
From 1 October 2026, smokers will face a double tax increase, with the annual inflation plus 2% tobacco duty uplift expected to be applied alongside a one-off additional tax rise on cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, introduced alongside the new vaping products duty. JTI’s survey found that 57% of smokers surveyed say that the October tax rises will make them more likely to seek out illegal tobacco.
The results showcased that the public now understand that illegal tobacco is not a victimless trade, with 75% finding increasing crime and violence associated with illegal tobacco in local communities very concerning.
However, 30% were still surprised that illegal tobacco funds other serious crimes in local communities, such as drugs, guns and human trafficking. The ‘It Costs More Than You Think’ campaign aims to educate the general public on the wider dangers of the illegal tobacco market.
Bobby Singh, owner of BB Superstore and Post Office in Pontefract, said: “My tobacco sales are significantly down because of the growing illicit trade, and that’s having a knock-on effect on wider basket sales too. Many retailers are seeing the impact, with illegal tobacco continuing to undermine legitimate businesses and local communities.
“The ‘It Costs More Than You Think’ campaign is an important way to raise public awareness. People need to understand that buying illegal tobacco doesn’t just harm honest retailers, it can also fund organised criminal activity and put consumers at risk.
“We need stronger enforcement, greater public awareness, and tougher penalties for those caught selling illegal products. Honest retailers who play by the rules shouldn’t be at a disadvantage while those operating outside the law continue to profit.”
“These results are a strong indicator that illegal tobacco is increasingly well known to the public, with many believing that current enforcement is inadequate to tackle this growing issue,” said Dale Stacey, Communications Manager at JTI UK. “This isn’t a problem that’s going to go away on its own. The ‘It Costs More than You Think’ campaign has made positive steps, but we know there’s much more to do – it’s clear that collaboration across the industry and with the Government is needed to shut down the illegal trade.
“JTI is calling on the Government to treat illegal tobacco as a serious economic and social issue with three simple asks; cancel the double taxation on tobacco, introduce a licensing scheme, and increase penalties to fund enforcement. Otherwise, legitimate retailers will continue to lose out on sales and crime levels rise will rise in our communities.”
JTI is working with retail partners to call for the implementation of a £10,000 on-the-spot fine to anyone found to be trading illegal tobacco. These fines could be ringfenced and then reinvested into Trading Standards frontline services, funding additional officers and resource to drive action, and covering the administration of a future licensing scheme.
