Tobacco researchers say allowing the government to take over supplying cigarettes to smokers would help reduce the profit motive in tobacco marketing.

A study suggests the government should outlaw tobacco brands and set up a tobacco authority to distribute tobacco products.

One of the report's authors, Nick Wilson, says the authority could control how tobacco is packaged and marketed. Wilson says this would be similar to the prescription drug model, where the industry is highly regulated and companies can't undermine public health efforts.

Co-author George Thomson from the Wellington School of Medicine says smokers need nicotine, but marketing should be limited.

But New Zealand's largest tobacco distributor says the suggestion would lead to more bureaucracy.

British American Tobacco spokesman Carrick Graham says New Zealand already has some of the most restrictive tobacco controls in the world with the government spending over $30 million on tobacco control each year.

The research also found that taxes on tobacco are effective at reducing tobacco consumption.