Act is vowing to do more to protect vulnerable workers who face the threat of robberies by those desperate for a tobacco fix.

The Party has today announced a policy that'd see tobacco sellers given a portion of tobacco tax so they can cover their security costs and keep themselves safe.

Leader David Seymour said since the government started increasing tobacco taxes, there's been almost no impact on smoking rates.

"Wherever you go in the country, people are knocking over service stations and dairies, because the government's tax policy has turned bricks of cigarettes into gold bars."

With armed hold ups of dairies and shops selling cigarettes seemingly on the rise, Mr Seymour said shop owners need better protection before someone gets killed.

"I tell you what, it is a matter of time, may not be this weekend, may not be this month, but sooner or later someone is going to be killed by a person with an axe, or a rifle, or a hammer, or a baseball bat trying to steal cigarettes."