Smokers are being warned that counterfeit cigarettes, which may look identical to those purchased legitimately over the counter, contain hazardous levels of damaging toxins, including arsenic.

The black-market cigarettes have higher levels of tar, nicotine and carcinogenic chemicals from contaminated tobacco leaves, the Government will warn in a campaign launched today.

Trade in counterfeit cigarettes has exploded over the last two years, is worth £500 million, and makes up 15 per cent of the UK market.

A new report published today will show that smugglers are manufacturing more and more of their own cigarettes, mostly in China and Eastern Europe, which contain a high level of hazardous chemicals.

Customs Minister John Healey will launch the new drive to raise awareness of the risks of smoking fake cigarettes. He will point out that 85% of cheap cigarettes sold illegally on the capital’s streets and more than half of all smuggled cigarettes seized nationally are counterfeit.

Independent research, carried out by Dr Ed Stephens of St Andrews University, shows that counterfeit cigarettes being sold on Britain’s streets contain five times as much cadmium, which can damage the lungs and is linked with kidney disease.

The fakes contain nearly six times as much lead, which damages the organs and the nervous system, especially in children. They also contain high levels of arsenic, which increases the risks of lung and liver cancer.

On average more than one million fake cigarettes are seized in the UK every day, but the Government says the public is unaware of the problem and the risks.

A third of UK smokers say they sometimes buy fake cigarettes, but only one in five know their packs are smuggled. In London, where 85 per cent of cigarettes are fake, two-thirds of smokers mistakenly believe their supplies are real.

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