New awareness campaign against counterfeit cigarettes

In January 2026, faced with the sharp rise in illicit cigarette trafficking, an unprecedented awareness campaign was officially launched in Paris by the Union des Fabricants (Unifab) and its partners. Its aim is to inform the general public about the dangers associated with counterfeit cigarettes, a growing problem that worries both the authorities and the trade.

Sharp growth in counterfeit cigarette trafficking

Counterfeit cigarettes have reached alarming proportions in France in recent years. According to a report published in 2025 by Unifab, around 15.4% of the cigarettes consumed in France are counterfeit, a European record. In 2023, close to 300 million packs of falsified cigarettes are believed to have been sold illegally. This large-scale smuggling represents a considerable shortfall for the state: the tax revenue lost to the illegal tobacco trade is estimated at 5 billion euros a year. Behind the traffic lie structured international criminal networks, often linked to other forms of trafficking such as the drugs trade. These organisations constantly adapt their methods to escape enforcement, going as far as setting up clandestine manufacturing plants in Europe and in France. Six clandestine counterfeit cigarette factories have been dismantled on French soil to date. In January 2023, for example, the gendarmerie seized more than 100 tonnes of counterfeit cigarettes when it dismantled an illegal factory near Rouen, the largest ever discovered in the country. These figures illustrate the scale of a fast-growing parallel tobacco market.

Aims and messages of the campaign

The new awareness campaign sets out to highlight the many harmful consequences of cigarette counterfeiting. Contrary to a widespread assumption, this is not simply a financial or customs matter, but a major health and security issue. The campaign points out that the trade in counterfeit cigarettes gives rise to several serious problems:

• the funding of organised criminal networks that profit from this traffic;
• a significant tax shortfall for the state (duty and taxes never collected);
• illegal distribution outside the official tobacconist network, with no respect for health or quality standards;
• serious risks for the health of consumers exposed to toxic products.

These cigarettes, sold entirely outside any form of control, meet no health standard at all. Inspections have revealed insanitary manufacturing conditions: in some clandestine factories, tobacco was stored directly on the floor, and rodent droppings and urine, mercury and even cement have been found in counterfeit cigarettes. Counterfeit tobacco therefore escapes every check that applies to the legal trade, and, according to the campaign, exposes smokers to additional hazards. By making the public aware of these realities, the campaign hopes to reduce the appeal of these cheap illicit products and to underline that serious public health and security issues lie behind every pack bought on the black market.

The organisations mobilised against the traffic

The initiative is led by Unifab, a French association for the defence of intellectual property that brings together a large number of companies, in partnership with various public bodies. Its launch gathered a panel of senior speakers, illustrating the collaboration required between government and the private sector in this fight. On the law enforcement side, the Gendarmerie nationale was represented at the press conference by General Dominique Lambert (deputy director of the judicial police), who stressed the importance of enforcement and investigation against illicit tobacco trafficking. French customs are also on the front line: they have stepped up checks at the borders and inland in order to stem the influx of illegal cigarettes. In 2024, customs intercepted more than 3.1 million packs of counterfeit cigarettes (around 62 tonnes), close to 19% of all cigarette seizures for the year, a volume almost nine times higher than in 2020. Among public decision-makers, the French government has voiced its support for the cause. It has made the fight against counterfeiting a priority, notably through a dedicated 2024-2026 national plan, a sign of its determination to curb counterfeit trafficking on French territory. Politicians are also involved: Christophe Blanchet, member of parliament for Calvados and vice-president of the National Assembly, takes an active part in raising awareness on the subject, having warned since 2020 about the dangers of counterfeit tobacco trafficking. Lastly, tobacconists (official tobacco retailers) support the initiative; they are seeing legal sales fall and had organised an unprecedented gathering of more than a hundred elected representatives in November 2025 to call for strong action against the illicit tobacco trade.

Communication work and tighter enforcement

The awareness campaign rolled out in early 2026 relies on a hard-hitting digital communication strategy. Entitled “La contrefaçon sans filtre” (counterfeiting unfiltered), it takes the form of a video mini-series distributed online and on social networks. These short explanatory episodes take viewers to the heart of the problem by illustrating different aspects of the traffic: the scale of illegal sales of counterfeit cigarettes, the work of law enforcement during seizures, and the dismantling of a clandestine plant making fake tobacco. This entirely digital approach reaches a wide audience and drives home the key prevention messages on modern, easily shared formats.

Alongside the communication campaign, the authorities are continuing and reinforcing enforcement operations on the ground. In recent months, customs officers and police have carried out one spectacular seizure of illegal tobacco after another. In the summer of 2025, for example, customs made a record seizure of 15.6 tonnes of smuggled cigarettes in the port of Marseille. Over the whole of 2024, tobacco seizures by French customs reached close to 489 tonnes across all products, a measure of the effort being deployed. Every cargo intercepted and every clandestine workshop dismantled weakens the criminal networks and sends a deterrent signal. The authorities are clear: the fight against counterfeit cigarettes is now a national priority, commensurate with the economic and health issues it raises.

In short, France began 2026 by launching a vigorous information campaign to make consumers aware of the risks of counterfeit cigarettes. Led by Unifab with the backing of the state, customs and law enforcement, the initiative is part of a broader strategy combining prevention and enforcement. The stated objective is clear: to curb tobacco counterfeiting, which deprives the state of resources, feeds organised crime and endangers the health of smokers. The challenge remains considerable given the size of the illicit market, but this joint mobilisation of public and private players marks an important step towards pushing the traffic back and protecting the public.

Sources: Cnews, Douane.gouv, Revuedestabacs