The NZ arm of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Project has found that price is the major reason for smoking roll-your-owns. The results were published in the NZ Medical Journal last week. The research strengthens the case for increasing tax on loose tobacco to remove the price differential between roll-your-own tobacco and factory made cigarettes. Exploring options for addressing the impact of the current tax structure on the use of roll-your-own tobacco is one of the tobacco control research priorities identified in the recently released Tobacco Control Research Strategy 2009-2012. 

Wilson N, Young D, Weerasekera D, Edwards R, Thomson G, Glover M. The importance of tobacco prices to roll-your-own (RYO) smokers (national survey data): higher tax needed on RYO. N Z Med J 2009;122(1305):1-5.