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Claims by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett that increasing the cost of tobacco could result in family violence are "pure speculation" according to one expert.
In official papers released to ONE News, it's emerged Bennett had concerns in February there would be an increase in family violence as a result the tax hike.
"Because of that sort of addiction it can be really tough on them and you see, certainly, financial hardship being increased and I think also with that sort of stress you can look at domestic violence," Bennett said in a letter to Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia.
But Richard Edwards, Professor of Public Health from Otago University's Wellington School of Medicine, says he could not find any evidence to back Bennett's claims.
"I couldn't find any papers published that raised the issue that increasing tax on cigarettes would increase domestic violence," he says. "It's easy to speculate about these things, but you really need some evidence."
The tobacco tax went up 10% in April and two more 10% rises will follow in January and at the beginning of 2012.
Edwards says it's equally possible family violence could decrease because of the fact that some people will successfully quit as a result of the measure and that will reduce their stress levels.
He says alcohol plays more of a role in family violence than tobacco and the government should be taking heed of the Law Commission's proposal to reduce the effects of alcohol in society.
"I think the police figures are about 30% of all cases of family violence are clearly related to alcohol."
Official papers released to ONE News show that just 5% of smokers are expected to quit, but Edwards says that needs to be looked at in perspective.
"Remember there's about 700,000 smokers, so that's 35,000 smokers, so that's actually a considerable number ... that translates into thousands of lives saved."
He says there's a clear link between the amount you raise the tax and and the price of tobacco and the amount that people cut down, quit, or don't take-up smoking.
"What happens is for every 10% you raise the price, the evidence is it results in about a 5% reduction in consumption of tobacco. That's a considerable amount and it's probably the single most effective measure to address tobacco smoking."
