Illegal tobacco purchases less frequent among people who smoke in the North East 

A regional survey of nearly 3,000 adults conducted by Fresh shows that while roughly one in five smokers in the North East still purchase illicit tobacco, they are doing so less often than in the past. Regular weekly buying among smokers who purchase illegal tobacco has fallen from one in three in 2023 to one in four in 2025. Additionally, smokers reported fewer encounters with illegal products compared with a decade ago; 37% say they encountered it in 2025, which is a decrease from 47% in 2015. The proportion of tobacco consumed illegally in the region has also reduced over time; currently 10% of tobacco smoked in the region is illegal, compared to 15% in 2009. Director of Fresh and Balance Ailsa Rutter OBE stated that “keeping illegal tobacco out of our communities is an important part of efforts to make smoking history”.

Illegal tobacco use ‘less frequent’ among North East smokers | Asian Trader