While authorities have cracked down on the growing of tobacco illegally, the Murrumbidgee Local Health district are switching their focus to the illegal sale of tobacco products.

MLHD and southern region Tobacco Compliance Officer Ian Hardinge said the key giveaway was in the packaging.

"It's mandatory for tobacco packaging to have an official Australian health warning and to be a lime green colour," he said.

"The other sign is a cheaper price."

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Mr Hardinge said the border region in particular tended to draw in illegal tobacco sales.

"Early last month, there were two small towns on the border where little pop up gift shop businesses opened, and with very good intel, we ended up seizing 25,000 cigarettes from one business and 15,000 from the other," he said.

"In the last 12 months, we've also probably had a total of five or six businesses pop up and seized close to 80,000 cigarettes."

Genuine tobacco sale businesses are typically the ones reporting illegal sales, according to Mr Hardinge.

"They will often notice when people are asking for the cheap tobacco options and such, but we also ask any member of the public to please let us know if they do see the incorrect packaging lying around on the street or hear talk of cheap tobacco," he said.

Aside from the damage to legitimate businesses, Mr Hardinge said the health risks were also significant.

"Illegal tobacco is an unregulated industry, so we don't know what could be in the product or how long it's been sitting around for," he said.

"Obviously the main way to avoid this is to give up smoking full stop - any attempt to quit will be in your best health interest - but if you are going to smoke, please use legal products with legitimate Australia health warnings and that lime green packaging."

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