Smoking again on rise

By ANGELA GREGORY and NZPA

Smoking among New Zealanders is back on the rise.

Anti-smoking lobby group Ash is concerned that figures show a 7 per cent increase in tobacco products released for sale in the 12 months to September last year.

Statistics New Zealand figures showed tobacco sales jumped from 3427 million cigarettes in 2001 to 3635 million last year.

Ash chairman Dr Murray Laugesen, a public health physician, said allowing for a rise in population, the increase in consumption per adult was probably 6 per cent.

He estimated that that represented about four more cigarettes a week for smokers.

The increase bucks trends in the 1980s and 1990s when many smokers started to give up or cut down on cigarettes.

Dr Laugesen said data showed that in the 1990s New Zealand life expectancy increased more than in any other OECD country. That was coupled with the highest reduction in tobacco use.

He was concerned at the sudden turnaround.

"We are resting on our laurels," he said. "We have to keep the pressure on or we could lose those earlier gains."

Dr Laugesen said about 25 per cent of the adult population (15 years and over) were smoking.

"That is going down extremely slowly ... it has largely flattened out.

"At the start of the 21st century we have two counts against us - the blip up in consumption and the failure to significantly reduce smoking prevalence."

But British American Tobacco said the figures were being misrepresented.

Spokesman Carrick Graham said the figures represented the total number of cigarettes sent to distributors.

"The figures are not sales figures at all. In fact, a recent ACNielsen survey showed cigarette sales increased just 0.2 per cent last year.

"I think they are being mischievous because the Smokefree Environment Bill is due to be reported back to Parliament next month."

The Smokefree Coalition had already written to Associate Minister of Health Damien O'Connor about the need for the Ministry of Health to strengthen staffing for tobacco policy development.

Ash director Trish Fraser said there was dissatisfaction with the Government's performance on tobacco control.

"A strong smokefree bill will help, but ministry funding of smoking cessation needs to be increased greatly."

Quitline communications manager Liz Price said calls had fallen off over the past six months but it was still extremely busy.

"There is still a huge number of New Zealanders wanting to quit."

Ms Price said another tax increase on tobacco was needed. There had been no significant price rise since May 2000 when cigarettes went up by about a dollar a pack, she said.

"There was a drop in consumption of 18 per cent ... there is a huge link with price, it motivates people to quit."

A spokeswoman for Mr O'Connor said the Government was committed to lowering smoking rates.