The tobacco ban may have brought a permanent shift in South Africa’s cigarette market, a new study shows.

Following its third survey of almost 4,000 smokers this year, the Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products (REEP) at the University of Cape Town released its new findings this week.

Tobacco sales were banned for 20 weeks during the first phase of lockdown. Only Botswana (12 weeks) and India (6 weeks) banned tobacco sales in reaction to the pandemic.