The daughter of a woman who died in a house fire started by illegal cigarettes says she hopes “something good” can come from the tragedy.
Speaking to the Spalding and South Holland Voice on the third anniversary of the tragedy, Julie Grant says she hopes her tireless campaigning to raise awareness will save any more families living through the agony she and her family faced.
Her mum June Buffham (71) died at her home in Stonegate, Spalding, in April 2012, after fire engulfed her living room.
June, who suffered from limited mobility, was home alone on the evening of the fire, which it is believed started when June dropped a Jin Ling cigarette in her chair.
The illegal cigarette continued to burn – quickly releasing fumes, including cyanide, which would have killed her within a minute.
In the past year, Julie has been turning her grief into action – campaigning alongside Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue and Lincolnshire Trading Standards to highlight issues with Jin Ling cigarettes and the dangers posed by not putting out cigarettes properly.
Julie, of Swineshead, said: “After my mum’s death and with the backing from my dad, I decided that something ‘good’ had to come from the pain I was going through.
“Over the past year, I have been working closely with Lincolnshire Trading Standards, with the local press and most recently BBC Fake Britain to tell my story in the hope that people will realise the true dangers of illegal cigarettes.
“Up until three years ago the truth behind these ‘cheap’ cigarettes that my mum smoked was not widely known; they are not regulated in the EU and do not come up to our safety standards.
“It has not been easy to share my story as I relive my mum’s death on a daily basis, but Lincolnshire Trading Standards have been a wonderful support to me in my campaign and are constantly working to get this trade stopped.
“If anyone has any information about these cigarettes and where they are available, I would urge them to come forward.”
Andy Wright, Principal Trading Standards Officer at Lincolnshire County Council, continues to work with HMRC and Lincolnshire Police to crack down on the sale of Jin Ling cigarettes in Lincolnshire.
He said: “We know that the supply of illicit cigarettes is generally on the rise, so we are grateful for Julie’s help in raising the profile of the issue.
“Trading in counterfeit goods is already a serious offence which can carry up to ten years’ imprisonment. We welcome tough sentences handed out by UK courts, in the hope that they act as a deterrent to others who might see illicit cigarettes as a way of making a quick profit.
“Most tobacco products we now seize are non-duty paid or unsafe and fail a self-extinguish test which of course raises the risk of fire”
