Repeal Of Smoke-free Laws – A Massive Set Back For Health

Health Coalition Aotearoa (HCA) is extremely disappointed
the new coalition Government plans to repeal world-leading
Smoke-free laws, including de-nicotisation of cigarettes, a
reduction in retailers and banning cigarettes for the next
generation.

HCA calls for the full implementation of
the Smoke-free laws, with Māori leadership, as one of its
top recommendations for action within the first 100 days, in
a Briefing
to the Incoming Parliament.

The Coalition
Government’s Smoke-free Amendment repeal will cost
thousands of lives and have the greatest effect on Māori –
who have the highest rates of smoking (19 per cent), HCA
co-chair Professor Lisa Te Morenga said.

“It’s a
further insult to our tangata whenua by the newly formed
coalition Government on top of the loss of Te Aka Whai Ora –
the Māori Health Authority.”

The move was astounding,
given incoming Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti’s previous
stated
support for denicotisation, HCA co-chair Professor Boyd
Swinburn said.

“This is major loss for public health,
and a huge win for the tobacco industry – whose profits will
be boosted at the expense of Kiwi lives.”

Swinburn
said there was huge support for the world-leading,
smoke-free amendments from the health sector – and the New
Zealand public.

Recent
modelling showed the Smokefree regulations would save
$1.3 billion in health system costs over the next 20 years,
if fully implemented – and reduce all-cause mortality rates
by 22 per cent for women, and nine per cent for
men.

The National Party campaigned on “better health
outcomes” and said it would “relentlessly focus on results”
– but this goal would be completely undermined by the
repeals, Swinburn said.

Tobacco – along with alcohol
and unhealthy food cause nearly one-third of preventable
health loss in New Zealand.

“Turning the tide on
harmful products that are entrenched in society cannot be
done by individuals, or even communities. It takes good –
and brave – population-level policies,” Te Morenga
said.

HCA calls for youth vaping regulations to be
strengthened urgently in its briefing, and welcomed the
Coalition Government’s agreements in support of
this.

Swinburn urged the new Government to consider
the clear health and financial benefits of prevention
policies.

Type 2 diabetes, a preventable diet-related
disease, costs at least $1 billion every year in direct
health services. Without meaningful change to address the
causes of this epidemic, the annual cost will reach $3.5
billion by 2040.

HCA’s briefing to the Incoming
Parliament:

First 100 days:

– Initiate
consultation with Māori and Iwi providers about how to
ensure better outcomes for Māori health, following the
disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora

– Urgently
strengthen youth vaping regulations

– With Māori
leadership, implement the tobacco control measures for
Smokefree 2025 (denicotinisation, retailer numbers reduction
and smokefree generation)

– Increase the alcohol levy
to replace alcohol sponsorship of sports and events for a
period of five years

– Commit to develop a national
food and nutrition strategy within the term of
Government

– Commit to baseline funding of Ka Ora, Ka
Ako – the free healthy school lunches programme

–
Instruct the Ministry of Health to develop and design a
sugary drinks industry levy

First 1000 days:

–
Achieve Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 goal for all population
groups.

– Implement effective regulations to reduce
youth vaping

– Achieve a reduction in alcohol harm
with new, Te Tiriti-centred alcohol laws

– Expand Ka
Ora, Ka Ako to 50 per cent of all schools

– Achieve a
reduction in consumption of sugary drinks and reformulation
of beverages with a 20 per cent sugary drinks levy

–
Progressively increase the annual investment in prevention
(public health) to 5 per cent of the health budget within
the term of
Government

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