Back in the 1970s, more than one in three New Zealanders were cigarette smokers.
Even up until the mid-90s you could spot the Marlboro logo in Formula 1 races; Benson and Hedges was spruiked at cricket matches; the actual NRL grand prize, the Winfield Cup, was named after a brand of cigarettes.
But over the past couple of decades, the landscape has utterly changed.
Cigarette advertising was banned, as were sponsorships. Airplanes went smokefree - then bars and restaurants.
A decade of relentless tax hikes sent the price of a packet of smokes into the stratosphere: nowadays, a pack of 20 cigarettes will set you back more than $30.
A decade of relentless tax hikes sent the price of a packet of smokes into the stratosphere: nowadays, a pack of 20 cigarettes will set you back more than $30. The youth rate - 15-17 year-olds who smoke every day - is down at 3 per cent; an 80 per cent drop compared to 15 years ago. And with the government s goal of a Smokefree New Zealand by 2025 less than four years away, associate health minister Ayesha Verrall has called in the cavalry, unveiling a suite of proposals which she hopes will be the final nail in the coffin for the number one cause of preventable death worldwide.
He said the change is going to significantly impact dairy owners, who rely on cigarettes to keep their businesses operating. People who come to the dairies aren t just buying cigarettes, they are also buying other stuff but they come for the cigarettes. Cigarette sales for the diaries are on average 50 percent of the revenue, so if the Government is removing that 50 percent revenue they will be out of their jobs. The Government is basically pushing them on the dole or benefits that they don t want. They want to work hard and earn with respect. Crime Prevention Group president Sunny Kaushal told Newshub he doesn t believe crackdown on cigarette-selling shops is the right approach.
Press Release – Hapai Te Hauora
Hāpai Te Hauora applauds the government and today’s announcement by Associate Minister of Health, Dr. Ayesha Verrall on their proposals for a Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan. The three key goals are to eliminate inequities in smoking rates and smoking related illness; increase the number of children and young people who remain Smokefree; and, increase the number of people who successfully quit smoking.
Hāpai Te Hauora are pleased that within the first focus area to strengthen the tobacco control system, it is proposed to prioritise action to strengthen Māori governance of the tobacco control programme.