Abstract
Government spokespeople have failed to provide either evidence or logic to justify the repeal of world-leading smokefree legislation. Instead, they have claimed that reducing retailer numbers will greatly increase crime, particularly ram raids targeting tobacco products, a claim based on anecdote. In this Briefing, we examine police data on ram raids, which suggests these crimes are decreasing and that only a minority target tobacco products. We also explain why reducing tobacco retail outlets and denicotinisation would lead to further decreases in ram raid crimes.