Counterfeit cigarettes are finally coming to an end.

British and American tobacco companies are introducing a new cigarette packet pack made in the UK which will contain a small electronic chip.

Research within the tobacco industry has shown that only last year “two million fake cigarettes were smuggled to the UK from illegal factories in China and Eastern Europe.”, Daily Mail reports. Illegal cigarettes are distributed by many small retailers such as corner shops as well as some individuals. The availability of the cigarettes is such that anybody can purchase them, smokers and non-smokers.

The new packet will enable smokers to distinguish the counterfeit cigarettes from the legal ones, pack made in the UK and should eventually make the shopkeepers stop selling them.

Daily Mail also reports that: “Counterfeit cigarettes tend to be far more dangerous to health than the legitimate brands with tests proving that on average they contain 60 per cent more tar, 80 per cent more nicotine and 130 per cent more carbon monoxide.” It is not worth paying less for even more toxic cigarettes, is it?

Tobacco Manufacturer’s Association is prepared to pay for the initative in order to protect its smokers especially because the illegal trade cost the industry “£500 million of duty”.
The new range of the packs should appear in the next 6 months.