An anonymous story

“The guy who used to live next door to my gran when I was growing up would always bring back duty free cigs from Spain and sell them to people on the estate. I didn’t think much of what he did for a living until one day I came back to my gran’s house and noticed his door had been taken off, turns out it had been robbed the night before by a group of lads looking for the cigs and the money.

I tried my first cigarette when I was 15 and have smoked ever since. It started off with the odd cig here and there, trying to look cool and fit in with my mates, but then I found myself needing not wanting a cig. I know what illegal tobacco is. It’s like fake baccy or illegally imported. The way I see it, it’s just me saving a bit.”

The above is based on a conversation between an anonymous illegal tobacco buyer aged 25 and a member of the Keep It Out team.