Family tells of smoking death pain

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira (right) and Graeme Amey, general manager of BAT New Zealand. Photos / Steven McNicholl

The parliamentary committee probing the tobacco industry got personal in Auckland yesterday with the family of a Maori smoking victim describing the impact of his addiction and death.

The Te Kiri whanau of Hamilton wept as they told MPs of the pain tobacco smoking inflicted on their father before killing him in mid-life.

They are among many families and organisations to tell the tobacco inquiry of how the smoking rate of more than 40 per cent among Maori and the associated premature deaths have deprived them of their elders.

Broncho Te Tawhao Te Kiri died in 2002 aged 49, after suffering from severe heart and lung disease for several years. He had smoked heavily for 29 years.

His eldest daughter, Nichola Te Kiri, said he had been a fit and healthy man, active in his community and whanau-oriented.

"He was a generous, warm, loving and giving man.

"Smoking a packet of Pall Mall filter a day impacted directly on my father's life, his health, his wairua [spirit], his mana and all aspects of his well-being, which had massive repercussions on our whanau, our health, our economic, social and cultural well-being too."

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira also took the New Zealand head of British American Tobacco to task during yesterday's session about how much the firm spends on marketing.

"Off-hand I don't have the details," said Graeme Amey, general manager of BAT New Zealand. He agreed to provide details later.

Initially he said the company did not have a marketing strategy and did not market tobacco to young Maori - but it later became clear that he was referring to the company's compliance with the law that had banned tobacco advertising and sponsorship.

Mr Harawira said it was important for the committee to see the marketing material - which would remain confidential - including historic documents dating back decades, to verify Mr Amey's assertion that the company had not devised marketing strategies to target young Maori.

Later, the group Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) rejected the assertion BAT did not promote or market tobacco to youth. "Claims that smoking is an adult choice are false. The vast majority of smokers start before 18 with an average of 14.6 years of age," said Ash director Ben Youdan.

BURNING QUESTIONS

Hone Harawira: Kia ora. I'd like to read you something. It's a quote. "We don't smoke this shit, we just sell it. We reserve the right to smoke, for the young, the poor, the black and the stupid.' That's a quote attributed to a tobacco company executive. Was that a quote from your company executives?

Graeme Amey: No it was not a quote from one of our company executives.

HH: Is that a philosophy your company follows?

GA: No, it is not. It is a stupid comment.

HH: Can you tell us why you sell a product you know poses serious health risks?

GA: Tobacco is a legal product and we operate a commercial business.

HH: As a primary producer of cigarettes, do you accept any responsibility for the serious health risk, illness and premature deaths your product causes?

GA: We sell products and we offer products for sale to adults who are aware of the risks and make a personal choice to choose that product.

HH: [Quoting a report on illicit sales in China] BAT's own documents demonstrate that contraband has been a hugely profitable and integral part of the BAT operations in China over the past two decades ... given the level of illegality and deception that BAT is willing to engage in overseas, is there any reason to think you would not do so here?

GA: I am unaware of the report you refer to. Our policy around illicit trade is quite clear – and cross border transition – and we will not engage in any of that process.

HH: As the primary producer of a product which kills 4500 New Zealanders every year, do you have any intention of stopping the sale of the product?

GA: We acknowledge we work in a controversial industry. We work within the laws of New Zealand.