Cigarette sales in supermarkets fall

One year after the workplace smoking ban was introduced cigarette sales are falling.

The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation has found tobacco sales in supermarkets have consistently dropped over the year.

It shows 488,000 fewer packets of cigarettes and tobacco were sold in the first nine months of 2005 compared with last year, a decrease of 3.2 per cent.

Action on Smoking and Health director Becky Freeman said the data was promising but was only part of tobacco consumption.

"This snapshot of supermarkets is encouraging and hopefully is reflecting the overall consumption of tobacco.

"I don't have a complete picture of cigarette sales."

She said overseas trends indicated people would smoke less.

"We definitely expect people to quit and smoke less. We don't have data yet but I'm sure we'll see smoking prevalence will be less."

But British American Tobacco New Zealand spokesman Carrick Graham said sales in other locations were strong.

"Volume in supermarkets have declined and a lot of sales transferred to other channels. Dairies and new format service stations are doing a very good trade and to pick on supermarkets is just a quarter of the story."

Mr Graham said the number of New Zealand smokers had remained static over the last 15 years at about 700,000 and sales were decreasing up to 3 per cent a year as they smoked less - going from 16 to 12 a day.

He said although a smokefree New Zealand is completely unrealistic, the ban showed businesses could successfully accommodate both smokers and non-smokers.

A Ministry of Health report issued on the anniversary of the ban also shows an increased interest in quitting.

Quitline had received a 45 per cent increase in calls, but during 2005 figures have returned to normal.

Quitline research manager Michele Grigg said interest in stopping was similar to before the legislation.

"The legislation definitely had an effect in December and January ... but after the surge it went back to usual patterns from about April."

Law clerk Kate Mulcahy, 23, said she stopped smoking casually because of the ban and enjoyed going out more.

"Socially you want to join in and after a few drinks you want to be a part of it. Now you don't have that pressure anymore.

"I love it. It's really good.

"You don't come home stinking of smoke and you don't wake up feeling like you have smoked 20 cigarettes," she said.

"I used to wake up with a sore throat and that can't be healthy for you."