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Region wants to snuff out contraband smokes, says they are full of nasty substances 

Niagara Region public health is encouraging residents to Take a Stand Against Contraband Tobacco in new campaign to raise awareness of the danger of smoking illegal or legal cigarettes.

"The contraband cigarettes are unregulated so there's not a protocol to assess what's in these," said public health manager David Lorenzo.

And whether it's illegal or legal cigarettes, public health is urging people to kick the habit because research has shown that one in two lifetime users will die from a smoking-related disease.

Research has shown that such things as insect eggs, mould, dead flies and human feces have been found in illegal cigarettes.

That's on top of 4,000 other chemicals found in regulated tobacco products, said a news release from public health.

Because the illegal cigarettes are cheap and not being sold at convenience stores where identification has to be shown to purchase tobacco products, far too many are showing up in the hands of youth, said Lorenzo.

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