Turia urges price rise to reduce tobacco use

Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia is pushing for greater measures to help people quit smoking which could see cigarette prices rise and tobacco displays banned from shops.

Mrs Turia is preparing a paper discussing ways to lower smoking rates, which she will present to the Cabinet in the next couple of months. It will look at several methods, including an increase on the excise tax on cigarettes and removing tobacco from shop shelves.

She said the paper was timely because of public enthusiasm to curb smoking and cited a 2008 Health and Lifestyles Survey that showed nearly half of the respondents supported an end to tobacco sales within 10 years. Two-thirds of respondents said fewer shops should sell tobacco, which would reduce availability.

The National Research Bureau survey interviewed 1608 people aged 15 and over.

"What I'm even more pleased about is that one-in-four current smokers agreed that tobacco sales should be ended," Mrs Turia said.

"I am confident progress will be made in tobacco policy this year."

The Maori Party has been at the forefront in confronting the smoking rate, and an inquiry is before the Maori affairs select committee.

Prime Minister John Key said yesterday the Government may look at increasing the excise tax on tobacco in this year's Budget, but the Cabinet had yet to discuss it.

He agreed that raising prices could be beneficial.

"Evidence supports that the fastest way to reduce [the demand for] smoking is through price."

Smokers spend about $1.6 billion a year on tobacco, of which more than $1 billion is excise tax and GST. About 20 per cent of adults smoke regularly, but the proportion among Maori and Pacific Islanders is much higher.