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Counterfeit Cigs Bought at Duty-Free Shop Made Smoker Sick

Published: 2010-12-28    Views:157 reads

Trading standards officers and tobacco firms are warning smokers to beware of counterfeit cigarettes being passed off as legitimate products in duty-free shops abroad.

The warning comes after a Leicestershire man was sick after being given a pack of 200 duty-free cigarettes he believed were Benson & Hedges.

Roy Pickworth, of Cedar Road, Blaby, was given the cigarettes by his son following a trip to China.

The 67-year-old said: "My son bought the pack of 200 cigarettes for me from a duty-free shop in Hong Kong.

"I foolishly thought because they were bought at an airport they would be genuine.

"The sealed carton looked genuine , but when I opened the box I noticed the individual packets were a faded silvery gold colour.

"Then, when I tried to smoke one of the cigarettes, it made me violently sick. As soon as I inhaled, it felt like my lungs and throat were on fire - it was extremely painful.

"The smell was noxious and the smoke was black and acrid - I just couldn't breathe."

Mr Pickworth contacted British American Tobacco, which manufactures the Benson & Hedges brand, and sent them a packet of the cigarettes for analysis. They confirmed the pack was counterfeit.

He said: "My concern is that these fakes could be getting into the country this way and other unsuspecting people could be affected. Luckily, I'm okay, but God knows what they put in those things."

Catherine Armstrong, of British American Tobacco, said: "An examination by our brand enforcement team confirmed that Mr Pickworth's cigarettes were indeed counterfeit.

"It is very rare to come across counterfeit products bought from an airport duty-free shop.

"Our Hong Kong office has been informed and will be investigating the matter."

She said: "We cannot say exactly what materials were in the cigarettes, but urge consumers to make sure they do buy from legitimate sellers. In past experience, everything from cow dung and rat droppings to wood or plastic shavings can be found in counterfeit cigarettes.

"In terms of Benson & Hedges cigarettes, the gold carton is usually very hard to reproduce. If the colour appears faded in any way, then do not smoke the products."

Dave Bull, head of Leicestershire County Council Trading Standards, said: "While it's accepted that smoking tobacco is bad for you, smoking illicit cigarettes could be a whole lot worse. Fake cigarettes are a classic counterfeit product as it's often only when the person tries to smoke them that it becomes obvious that they are illicit."

Source from: This is leicester Shire
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