School of Medicine, Nottingham City Hospital, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
SPECTRUM Consortium, Edinburgh, UK.
Nicotine Tob Res. 2024 Oct 22;26(11):1591-1594. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntae118.
The United Kingdom has achieved reductions in illicit tobacco (IT) market size and share. However, there remains a 17.7% tobacco duty gap, contributing to health inequalities. In January 2024, the UK government announced a new strategy to control IT, along with provision of new funding.
A representative cross-sectional survey of adults in England ran in April 2022 to evaluate attitudes and exposure to IT. Tobacco smokers were asked questions about encounters with IT, while all participants answered questions on knowledge and perspectives on IT.
Of 262 tobacco smokers, 18.3% (95% CI 13.8% to 23.6%) had come across IT in the past year. Men had four times the odds of encountering IT recently than women. Among 1767 adults responding to questions on IT, two-thirds agreed IT harmed children, and more than half agreed IT was linked to organized crime. Younger adults, smokers, and those in lower socioeconomic groups were less likely to agree IT was harmful.
Exposure to IT, especially among younger males, remains a concern. While most of the public acknowledge its harm, this is not universal, and some population groups are less likely to do so.
The study highlights persistent exposure to IT in England, especially among younger males, and varying perceptions of IT harm across socioeconomic groups. Tackling IT requires collaboration between health and enforcement agencies, independent of the tobacco industry's influence. Strategies should include components that shift demand for IT and denormalize its presence in communities, particularly in lower socioeconomic areas with higher smoking prevalence.
英国已经成功减少了非法烟草（IT）市场的规模和份额。然而，仍存在 17.7%的烟草税差距，这导致了健康不平等。2024 年 1 月，英国政府宣布了一项新的控制 IT 的战略，并提供了新的资金。
2022 年 4 月，在英格兰进行了一项具有代表性的成年人横断面调查，以评估他们对 IT 的态度和接触情况。吸烟者被问及与 IT 的接触情况，而所有参与者都回答了关于 IT 的知识和看法的问题。
在 262 名吸烟者中，18.3%（95%CI：13.8%至 23.6%）在过去一年中遇到过 IT。男性最近遇到 IT 的可能性是女性的四倍。在 1767 名回答 IT 问题的成年人中，三分之二的人认为 IT 危害儿童，超过一半的人认为 IT 与有组织犯罪有关。年轻人、吸烟者和社会经济地位较低的群体不太可能认为 IT 是有害的。
接触 IT，尤其是在年轻男性中，仍然是一个问题。尽管大多数公众承认 IT 的危害，但这种认识并非普遍存在，一些人群群体不太可能这样认为。
该研究强调了 IT 在英格兰的持续存在，尤其是在年轻男性中，以及不同社会经济群体对 IT 危害的看法存在差异。打击 IT 需要卫生和执法机构之间的合作，不受烟草行业的影响。策略应包括减少 IT 需求和使 IT 在社区中正常化的部分，特别是在吸烟率较高的社会经济较低地区。
