Radical anti-smoke plan

A controversial scheme for complete state control of New Zealand's tobacco industry is being given a fair hearing at the Ministry of Health.

Wellington public health researchers, planning for the "end-game" of tobacco control, have floated the idea of a non-profit tobacco authority to take over the distribution and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco, forcing out the three multinationals that now control the industry.

Under the scheme of Dr Nick Wilson and his Wellington School of Medicine colleagues, attractive or established names like Holiday, Marlboro and Rothmans would be wiped, with their distinctive packaging.

A single type of cigarette would be sold in plain packets featuring only health warnings and quit-smoking information.

The authority would regularly increase the price to deter smoking, using its income to help prevent children taking up the habit, expand quitting assistance and develop ways to reduce the harm caused by tobacco.

New Zealanders spend about $1.5 billion a year on tobacco, around 70 per cent of which goes to the Government in excise and goods and services tax.

British American Tobacco spokeswoman Susan Jones said yesterday of the scheme: "It smacks of state intervention on an unprecedented scale, which is unusual because we have got extensive regulation in place.

"We feel adequate controls are in place without imposing another level of bureaucracy."

While the ministry is not investigating the scheme, its chief adviser on public health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, welcomed it as "an interesting idea".

"Given the importance of tobacco control in terms of addressing a major health hazard in this country, I think it's always important to consider new ideas.

"Ten or 15 years ago the idea of smokefree pubs or clubs ... would have seemed quite outrageous, but now it's not only becoming the norm, it's widely supported."

Dr Wilson said that with its high death toll, tobacco was not a "sustainable" product.

"Internationally, there's growing interest in defining a clear end-game to the tobacco problem. Because the tobacco industry opposes nearly every specific [control] action it would be helpful to reconfigure the whole game by removing the industry."

Dr Wilson said several Governments, including Japan's, owned their national tobacco industry, but none did so for public-health goals as he proposed. Some American states owned their liquor industry, which had led to reductions in harm from alcohol.

In New Zealand, the Government's main smoking-reduction tools are high tobacco tax, workplace bans, quit schemes coupled with subsidised nicotine-replacement therapy and mass advertising to discourage smoking around children in cars and in homes.

The ministry is drafting rules for larger health warnings on packets, including gruesome pictures of damaged lungs and the like, and is investigating tighter controls on cigarette displays at shop counters.