Illicit cigarette smokers may find feces

The Local Government Association (LGA) says people should “think twice” before purchasing cigarettes from the black market as all three have been found in counterfeit cigarettes before.

The LGA said fake cigarettes also pose a fire risk, damage legitimate businesses and cost the U.K. economy about £3 billion in unpaid duty annually.

Officers from Trading Standards say they have found fake cigarettes hidden inside vacuum cleaners, under floorboards and in toilet cisterns.

Some have contained asbestos, mould, dust, dead flies, rat droppings and human excrement. Many feature much higher levels of toxic ingredients such as tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, lead, cadmium and arsenic than genuine cigarettes.