• Last year over 1,000 smokers in Newham were supported to quit
• 150,000 illegal cigarettes removed by Newham Trading Standards
To mark World No Tobacco Day on 31 May the Council is redoubling its campaign to encourage smokers to quit with support from “Quit Well Newham”. This year’s theme for World No Tobacco Day is ‘Unmasking the Appeal’ highlighting the dangers of using tobacco.
Working together Newham’s Public Health team and Trading Standards colleagues are aiming to make non-smoking a better choice.
Last year, our Trading Standards team seized over £280,000 of illicit products including 150,000 cigarettes and other forms of tobacco.
In the lead-up to World No Tobacco Day, Trading Standards enforcement activity between 8 - 9 May 2025 resulted in the seizure of over £100,000 worth of illicit tobacco, along with other illegal tobacco and nicotine products.
This included more than 65,000 cigarettes, highlighting the scale of the illicit trade and reinforcing ongoing efforts to protect public health, disrupt criminal networks, and support legitimate businesses.
As prices in shops rise – the average 20-a-day smoker will spend around £5,000 a year to support their habit – more people are tempted by illegal tobacco products.
Illegal tobacco often contains harmful contaminants which can include toxins like arsenic, mercury, and lead, as well as dirt, rat droppings. They also fuel the earnings of serious and organised crime gangs.
Cllr Neil Wilson, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care said: “My message is simple – quit. Save your health and improve your wealth. Think what you can do with £5,000 a year (if you are an average smoker on 20-a-day)
“We all know it’s not easy, but you don’t have to do it alone. ‘Quit Well Newham’ offer 12 weeks of support, including free nicotine replacement and vapes, to help adult smokers give up the habit.
“It is one of our council priorities to achieve a SmokeFree Newham by 2030 as outlined in our health and wellbeing strategy, 50 steps to a Healthier Newham. It’s never too late to quit and World No Tobacco Day is the perfect opportunity to do it.”
