More smokers are buying tobacco from illicit sources, new study reveals
A new study published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research indicates that a growing percentage of smokers are turning to illicit sources to purchase tobacco. Researchers suggest this trend may be driven by financial pressures and the rising cost of legal tobacco products.
Why it matters
The shift toward illicit tobacco markets poses public health challenges and complicates government efforts to regulate smoking and tax tobacco products.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Andrew Zinin
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Research published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research analyzed repeated cross-sectional survey data from 9,996 participants ages 16 and older who reported currently smoking. It found that while most smokers (76.9%) reported purchasing tobacco only from legal sources, 23.1% reported purchasing tobacco from illicit sources at least once in the previous six months during 2025, up from 12.2% in 2023.
Lead author Professor Sarah Jackson (UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care) said, "Our findings suggest that more smokers are turning to illicit sources of tobacco compared with 2023.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in