More smokers are buying tobacco from illicit sources, new study reveals

Article excerpt

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.