From: The Argus
Illegal tobacco ‘sold to children’ in East Sussex
By Anna Roberts
An investigation has been launched into claims dangerous tobacco is being sold to children.
Officials from East Sussex’s Trading Standards department have been passed reports that illegal and counterfeit tobacco is being sold in the area.
The Argus has learned part of the investigation will focus on a Lewes car boot sale on Sunday when a 15-year-old girl was sold tobacco.
A member of the public first wrote about the issue on an online forum.
She said: “My daughter has just come back from the Lewes car boot sale, behind Waitrose, with Golden Virginia tobacco that her 15-year-old friend bought from someone with a blue car.
“He has smoking products such as lighters and papers on show outside and sells tobacco that is hidden in his car.
“The packaging is all wrong and it smells disgusting.
“This is most probably fake Chinese tobacco full of God knows what, rat poo, sawdust. He is selling this to kids.”
Another person wrote: “People – please be careful when smoking this rubbish. It is really nasty stuff.
“I am a smoker and was buying imported stuff cheap, but was put off when I found out that the levels of lead and other toxins are really dangerous – in some cases if you smoke 20 counterfeit cigarettes this is equivalent to 600 genuine ones.
