Britain is facing a flood of fake cigarettes containing hazardous chemicals such as arsenic, Customs Minister John Healey warned Wednesday.
More than half of smuggled cigarettes seized by the government are counterfeit, with the figure rising to 85 percent in London, the government said.
Tests of fake cigarettes revealed "substantial contamination ... by heavy metals, including the human carcinogens cadmium and arsenic," said Dr. Ed Stephens, a geoscientist from the University of St. Andrews, releasing his independent research.
"This is a worrying find for the health of those who are heavy and habitual smokers of counterfeits."
Healey appealed to the public not to buy smuggled cigarettes and report information on those importing or selling them to a customs hotline.
He warned that it was almost impossible to determine cigarettes are counterfeit by the packaging.
"The only way you'll know is once you start smoking them, with all the health risks that brings," he said.
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