Tax policy aimed at stubbing out one health problem has potentially fired up another, according to a research author.
A new study analysed media reports of tobacco robberies from convenience stores, including service stations and dairies, over a nine year period to 2018.
Researcher Dr Marewa Glover believes the results strongly suggest tax-driven price hikes increased demand for black market cigarettes resulting in what were at times violent robberies.
Robberies that seemed also to spike between 2016 and 2017 coinciding with the tightening of other regulations.
Dr Glover's study was funded with a grant from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, which is funded by the tobacco company Philip Morris.
