Today I’ve joined the Maori Affairs Select Committee in Christchurch to hear further submissions on their inquiry into the affects of tobacco on Maori.
Although there is a huge number of organisations submitting, there is a very clear theme: That New Zealand should have a target of becoming smoke-free by 2020.
Today in particular we have heard a lot of calls for prohibition as part of a package of initiatives to reduce smoking rates. I’m not yet convinced the benefits outweigh the negative aspects of prohibition.
But what it is time to do is look at a broader spectrum of options to reducing smoking rates.
Recently Parliament increased tobacco excise tax. It was another step in the right direction. However what we are being told is that taxation is just a small part of the answer.
Key initiatives that keep coming up include:
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Banning tobacco displays
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Plain packaging
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Increasing funding for quit smoking programmes
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Licensing tobacco retailers
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Legalising less harmful alternatives like e-cigarettes
I reckon the submitters are right. It’s time to pick up the pace. It’s also time to shift some of the attention off measures that penalise smokers (like tax) and onto things that will hit the industry and retailers a bit harder.
We’ve done well over the last 20-30 years but change has been slow. Should we continue the incremental changes or be really bold about eradicating the avoidable damage and costs associated with tobacco?
