AS WALES marks No Smoking Day 2020 today, the Welsh Government has pledged to crack down on the country’s illegal tobacco trade by appointing the county's first specialist dedicated to tackling the problem.

The move has been prompted by ASH Wales’ figures showing that 15 per cent of all tobacco sold in Wales is illegal – among the highest proportion in the UK - with social media platforms proving a lucrative way to sell illegal cigarettes, and increasingly high-tech concealment devices being used to hide the goods. Currently in Wales 17 per cent of the adult population smoke.

The Welsh Government has now committed to implementing a Wales-wide Illegal Tobacco Programme aimed at gathering intelligence, highlighting the impact of illegal tobacco on public health and introducing tougher penalties for those responsible.

Frank Atherton, chief medical officer for Wales, said: “Smoking remains one of the biggest causes of premature death and ill health in Wales.

"The availability of illegal tobacco in our communities undermines our ongoing work to reduce the harm caused by tobacco smoking.

"This new post will work with stakeholders in Wales to tackle the supply and use of illegal tobacco.”

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Suzanne Cass, chief executive of ASH Wales, added: “We very much welcome the new appointment of an illegal tobacco specialist to crack down on the criminals making a mockery of efforts to reduce smoking prevalence in Wales.

“Illegal tobacco is widely available from shops and homes across Wales, presenting a major threat to public health and making cigarettes too easy to reach for young smokers. ASH Wales and enforcement agencies have long campaigned for robust action to tackle illegal tobacco.”

The easy availability of cigarettes sold at pocket money prices in Wales means even children can afford to buy them, undermining efforts to address youth smoking rates and leading to health inequalities in our most deprived communities.

Collin Singer is chief executive of Wagtail, which provides tobacco detection sniffer dogs to Trading Standards teams. He said: “Illegal tobacco is big business, particularly in North and South Wales.

“We’ve come across electronic concealment devices hidden under the floor, false walls operated by electromagnets and chutes behind the counters that get filled up from upstairs each time somebody wants a packet of cigarettes.”

According to ASH Wales, 45 per cent of smokers in Wales have been offered illegal tobacco with £4 the average price paid for a pack of 20 illegal cigarettes.