It has been revealed that bootleg cigarettes on sale in Birmingham and Derbyshire contain asbestos.

The cigarettes are being sold illegally in pubs and clubs, with many sadly being sold to children.

Packets of the cigarettes are on sale for as little as 40p. The cigarettes carry the brand name Jan Ling and are smuggled into the UK from Russia.

The World Health Organisation issued a warning about Jan Ling cigarettes earlier in the year and claimed that they are “flooding into Europe”.

This is a horrifying situation. Children are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of cigarette smoking and asbestos inhalation, because their lungs are not fully developed. Aside from the obvious health hazards, what is less well known is that smoking and asbestos exposure (acting in concert) multiply the risk of developing lung cancer many times, possibly as much as 50 times the norm.