Heart disease and stroke prevention charity, Heart of Mersey today welcomed the launch of a new initiative to tackle illicit tobacco and slash the amount of smuggled and fake cigarettes and tobacco hitting the streets of Cheshire and Merseyside.

The initiative in the North West is part of the North of England Tackling Illicit Tobacco for Better Health action plan. Important new research shows that nearly 90% of local people interviewed in Cheshire and 83% of local people interviewed in Merseyside agree that smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco are a danger to children. Over 62% of people questioned in Cheshire and Merseyside also believe that the dealers are responsible for bringing crime into the community.

Heart of Mersey chief executive, Robin Ireland said, "We welcome this initiative to target the illicit tobacco trade and make our streets safer and healthier for our young people.

"Illicit tobacco has links to organised crime and is a major obstruction in our objective to support people to quit smoking and cut the number of young people who take up the habit.

"Because illicit tobacco is unregulated it is freely available to young people, undermining the recent age restriction regulations which prohibit the sale of cigarettes to under 18s. The younger they start the more likely they are to carry on smoking into adulthood and suffer associated health problems including cardiovascular disease and stroke."

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Notes to Editors

1. The public opinion survey consisted of more than 6,000 telephone and street interviews carried out by NEMS market research in July 2009 for the partners in the North of England Tackling Illicit Tobacco for Better Health programme. 2,919 of these were from the North West.

2. Agencies involved in the development of the programme include regional public health organisations (including Smokefree North West, Fresh (Smokefree North East), and Smokefree Yorkshire & the Humber), trading standards groups, HM Revenue and Customs, local authorities, the Association of Chief Police Officers, local police forces, the Serious and Organised Crime Agency and the newly formed UK Border Agency.

For further information contact Sue West, corporate communications manager, Heart of Mersey on 0151 928 7820 / 07738 649 781.