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UP IN SMOKE
Twenty-a-day smoker goes to extreme lengths to get his fix – by GROWING tobacco in London backyard
A GREEN-FINGERED smoker has revealed how he goes to extreme lengths to get his fix - by growing TOBACCO in the backyard of his London home.
Azad Adam has a 20-a-day habit and brainstormed the unusual move to help cut costs.
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Smoking is dangerous and can cause a whole host of health issues - including lung cancer.
The 46-year-old bought some Golden Virginia seeds and started growing and drying tobacco at his East London home.
The idea first cropped up in 2020 when he was fed up with forking out for cigarettes for more than £10 a pack amid the rising costs of living.
He said: "When I first started smoking at 18, we used to buy packs of cigs for £1.80 - now it's over £10 at least.
"It does save a lot of money because tobacco is so expensive. I thought let me try and grow my own and see what happens."
READ MORE ON COST OF LIVING
More than 78,000 people a year die from smoking in the UK.
It also increases your risk of developing conditions including coronary heart disease, as well as the chance of having a stroke or heart attack.
Azad said: "Whether you agree with smoking tobacco or not, the price is extortionate.
"With this, you can save your tobacco money for less than £100."
What are the health risks of smoking?
Smoking is dangerous and can cause a whole host of health issues - including lung cancer.
It is one of the biggest causes of death and illness in the UK.
Every year around 78,000 people in the UK die from smoking, with many more living with debilitating smoking-related illnesses.
Smoking increases your risk of developing more than 50 serious health conditions.
Smoking causes around 7 out of every 10 cases of lung cancer (70%).
Need help to quit?
Your GP can give you information and advice on .
You can also call the NHS Smokefree helpline on 0300 123 1044.
The novice horticulturist researched production online before buying Golden Virginia seeds and equipment for less than £80.
Azad planted a crop indoors in January, nurturing very small seedlings before moving them outside in March and April, only to be "pleasantly surprised" at how quick they took off.
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He told The Sun: "Sun, water and a good-quality draining soil - BANG - they're there.
"I think a lot of people have an impression it needs to be grown in a seriously hot, humid climate, but it can actually grow in a temperate climate as well."
Azad has grown enough tobacco for more than 1,000 roll-ups - saving him buying at least 30 packs at £20 each from a store - as well as filling 100 cigarettes which would cost at least £10 for a box of 20.
By growing his own, it means Azad's harvest "hasn't got the chemicals commercially-bought rolling tobacco has".
He estimates the process takes three to four months from the day of planting a seed to picking a leaf off, depending on the environment. Then they're dried out around his home to dry in areas which attract the most heat.
He said: "I've got a few leaves in the living room, a few in my room, a few in the lean-to, it's all around the house but not like you're walking into a tobacco barn."
The fermentation and curing process "is key" before using a pasta machine, he'll then cut up the tobacco small enough to make a cigarette or add into an old pouch.
There are, however, a few rules to follow.
Anyone who deals with raw tobacco must hold an approval from HMRC through the Raw Tobacco Approval Scheme.
They must also pay the duty on any products they make from home-grown tobacco and must register the premises they use to make the tobacco in.
It comes after a drastic review suggested the smoking age should increase each year until Brits can't buy cigarettes.
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You can speak to your GP about how to quit smoking of call the NHS Smokefree helpline on 0300 123 1044.
Growing your own tobacco: What you need to know
- Any individual who carries out any activity involving raw tobacco must hold an approval from HMRC through the Raw Tobacco Approval Scheme.
- Failure to have approval may result in a regulatory penalty and forfeiture of the raw tobacco. .
- A private individual must pay the duty on any tobacco products that they make from tobacco which they have grown.
- This applies whether the tobacco products are intended for sale or solely for the grower’s own consumption. .
- An individual must register the premises which they use to make tobacco and account for all tobacco products manufactured for personal consumption and on which duty is due.
- While all registration applications will be considered on a case by case basis, it is highly unlikely that home premises will meet the registration requirements.
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