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Tobacco plain packaging law takes another step towards reality

Aug 24th, 2016
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/83508109/tobacco-plain-packaging-law-takes-another-step-towards-reality

NZ First MP Barbara Stewart said 12 weeks was not enough time for businesses to transition to plain packaging.

Plain packaging for cigarettes has taken another step towards reality, despite suggestions that manufacturers and retailers should be given more time to sell their old stock.

The Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill is heading to its third and final reading at Parliament, after passing the committee stage by 108 votes to 13 on Wednesday morning.

The law would make it illegal for tobacco companies to print any branding on cigarette boxes, only allowing the name in small plain type with graphic warnings about the risks of smoking.

Stephanie Erick, director for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) calls for MPs to end delays on the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes.

NZ First MP Barbara Stewart accused the Government of rushing through the change, saying the transition period for retailers and manufacturers to replace their old stocks should be extended from 12 weeks to six months.

“The bottom line is that 12 weeks is not sufficient to basically get rid of all your old stock and sell it on,” she said.

“No doubt the minister would be very happy when some of these ram raids [by thieves] are carried out, because then all of the [branded] cigarettes and all of the tobacco is taken by these people.”

Stewart said although the bill had been introduced three years ago, a date had never been set for the law change.

Labour health spokesman Chris Hipkins took issue with Stewart’s stance and showed less sympathy for business owners.

‘AN INDUSTRY ENTIRELY WITHOUT CONSCIENCE’

Hipkins said the burden and cost of the plain packaging bill would fall on the tobacco industry.

“It is an industry entirely without conscience and entirely without any moral compass. This is an industry that sets out to kill its customers.

“I have to say to the members opposite that they should search deeply within themselves to find their own moral conscience.”

Hipkins argued against Stewart’s support of business owners and said businesses had known about the law change since 2013 and “had plenty of time to prepare”.

“The cost will predominantly fall on the tobacco companies whose job, as I’ve said, is to kill people. That is what they set out to do.”

Dirty secrets of your KiwiSaver

Aug 18th, 2016
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Find out how much your KiwiSaver has invested in cluster bombs, landmines and tobacco.

http://insights.nzherald.co.nz/article/kiwisaver-investments

The country’s largest KiwiSaver provider today announced it was reviewing client investment policies as the Herald revealed New Zealanders had unwittingly invested $152m in controversial arms manufacturers and big tobacco companies.

The launch of the Herald series looking at the Dirty Secrets of KiwiSaver also saw the Minister of Commerce concede in Parliament there were “some indications” a number of providers had broken strict laws banning investments in cluster-bomb-makers.

The investigation analysed more than 100,000 individual assets held in nearly 500 individual KiwiSaver funds looking for 169 companies blacklisted by the New Zealand Superannuation Fund. The analysis found half of KiwiSaver providers – mostly smaller boutique outfits – had avoided blacklisted investments, but more than 2 million people were unwitting investors in big tobacco companies and makers of banned weapons.

Many fund providers today defended their schemes, claiming individual investments in controversial companies – such as British American Tobacco and nuclear bomb component maker Honeywell International – were made only as part of indiscriminate investments in entire stock indices.

In total, New Zealanders were found to have $102m invested in tobacco companies, with more than half of this stake made by one fund provider – ANZ, and its OneAnswer funds. The Herald analysis ranked the ANZ pair as having invested the highest proportion of client funds into blacklisted assets

Today ANZ, the country’s largest provider managing $8.3b on behalf of 830,000 New Zealanders, announced it was reviewing its investment policies.

“ANZ Group is currently conducting a review of the governance and selection criteria of its underlying investments,” a spokesperson for the bank said.

The spokesperson said ANZ was transparent about where funds were invested, offered a specific ethical investment fund as an option, and clients were free to change funds any time they wished. The investigation also found three KiwiSaver providers had made investments worth a total of $2.3m in a trio of United States companies – Textron, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman – blacklisted by the NZSF due to their production of cluster bombs.

New Zealand signed an international treaty banning such weapons, and in 2009 passed enabling legislation specifically forbidding investments in such companies.

Funds managed by Westpac, AMP and Aon hold shares in three companies. Aon did not respond to questions.

A spokesperson for Westpac said the bank was “not aware of any non-compliance with any legislation”.

A spokesperson for AMP said its holdings were only indirect, via unit trusts, and it was “moving to remove exposure from cluster munitions in accordance with its legal obligations”.

Minister for Commerce Paul Goldsmith told Parliament he had today requested advice on the matter and had been told by officials there were “some indications” the cluster bomb laws had been broken.

“I’ve asked for advice on that and there is some indication that the law may apply but that’s for the appropriate enforcement authority to decide whether there’s been a breach of the law,” Goldsmith said.

Goldsmith drew a contrast between issues of ethics and laws. “We expect KiwiSaver providers to follow the law, but we believe individual investors are best placed to make moral judgments,” he said.

The questions to Goldsmith came as Opposition MPs urged the Government to act on the issue.

Labour’s Grant Robertson said: “Most New Zealanders would be appalled that their KiwiSaver funds are being invested into cluster bombs and land mines.”

The Green Party’s Julie Anne Genter said default funds – which half-a-million people had enrolled in and not moved from – should be cleaned up.

“The Government should be showing strong leadership by clarifying the legality of investing in cluster munitions and landmines,” she said.

Prime Minster John Key said the Government was unlikely to further regulate the KiwiSaver sector, and the choice of fund – and where to draw lines on what was an acceptable investment – was up to individuals.

“So in the end every KiwiSaver investor, I guess, needs to look at the investments they are making and make a decision about whether that’s an ethical investment,” he said.

The Herald series will next week crunch more KiwiSaver data, particularly over performance and fees charged, to find the sector’s best performers and worst performers.

Tobacco industry to benefit from new vaping proposals

Aug 5th, 2016
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/82805830/Tobacco-industry-to-benefit-from-new-vaping-proposals

Tobacco companies are taking over the e-cigarette industry. Does this mean they’re changing their spots?

Why are tobacco giants welcoming the Government proposal on electronic cigarettes? Because they stand to benefit.

For the past decade the tobacco industry have been buying up e-cigarette manufacturers and suppliers and investing heavily in developing these product lines.

The three dominant tobacco players in New Zealand – Imperial, British American Tobacco, and Philip Morris – all have e-cigarette subsidiaries under their parent companies.

The Government are proposing nicotine e-ciggy sales should be R18, have constraints on advertising and be banned in smokefree areas.

All going to plan, nicotine-vapours will be part of New Zealand’s health policy to help Kiwis quit smoking. The Government are just trying to figure out how it would work.

Perhaps this is the dawn of Big Tobacco being the ‘good guys’ for once – but experts are not so sure.

The Government wants to clarify the law surrounding electronic cigarettes, Peseta Sam Lotu-liga says.

Imperial Tobacco are “certainly wanting to assist” in “shaping good, solid and sound regulations”, says its corporate affairs manager Louise Evans McDonald.

“We are very supportive of adults having the right to choose a product,” she said.

Imperial bought e-cigarette brand Blu in 2014, after member company Fontem Ventures bought Dragonite in 2013 for $75m.

Associate Health Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-liga says the proposals on e-cigarettes are not about regulating who can supply them.

However, the corporation has never applied to Medsafe to have its products available to those that want to quit smoking. It’s been waiting on the Government to take a “lead steer” on regulations, Evans McDonald said.

At this stage, Imperial was just focused on selling tobacco in New Zealand. It made a 50 percent jump in profit from sales of $553m for the year ending September 2015.

IS THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY ‘CHANGING ITS SPOTS’?

It’s “unlikely” the tobacco industry are just wanting to be ethically responsible with their investments, says Otago University pubic health co-head Richard Edwards.

They’re really getting “a big slice” of the consumer pie by investing in a market that’s grown exponentially in the past few years, he said.

“It may mean it’s a way for them to get more influence over governments, and policy and so on, by appearing to be not so bad after all.”

Take a look at the track record of the industry’s court actions, he said, such as trying to prevent graphic health warnings in Uruguay, and losing the argument to prevent plain packaging in the UK.

“They’re still trying to prevent effective policies to reduce the harm caused by smoking. So that’s why I don’t think there’s any evidence that the tobacco industry has changed its spots.”

NO PROPOSAL TO REGULATE SUPPLIERS

When asked if tobacco companies stand to benefit from the Government proposal, Associate Minister of Health Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga responded: “It is not a proposal to regulate who is involved in the provision of e-cigarettes.”

The proposal would treat e-cigarettes in a “similar fashion” to tobacco regulations, “which tobacco companies already operate within”, he said.

He had not had discussions yet with the tobacco industry on the issue.

Philip Morris, known for the Marlboro and Chesterfield cigarette brands, welcomed the consultation announced by the Government, said New Zealand general manager Jason Erickson.

He pointed out that advances in vaping technology was “transforming the tobacco industry”.

Philip Morris International teamed up with Altria to market e-cigarettes in 2013, selling these exclusively outside the US. In 2014, it bought Nicocigs to enter the UK market.

GOOD FOR PUBLIC HEALTH & COMMERCIALLY SENSIBLE

In 2013, British American Tobacco was the first international company to launch an e-cigarette (called ‘Vype’) in the UK.

Its website says it will continue to invest “substantially” in the research, development and commercialisation of a pipeline of products. They also plan to launch Vype in other markets.

It also says it was the first company to have a nicotine product licensed as a “medicine” – their nicotine inhaler.

“If we are successful in developing and bringing to market a range of products that meet the needs of adult smokers seeking less risky alternatives to cigarettes, this will help to meet the objectives of a number of leading public health professionals.

“And of course it will also make commercial business sense to us and our shareholders.”

Statistics about vapers in New Zealand are hard to come by because the nicotine products are illegal to sell.

However, in the UK and US there are already a high rate of users. It’s estimated that 2.8million adults in the UK are vapers, according to Action on Smoking and Health, correlating with a decrease in smokers. However two thirds of vapers were still smokers.

American vapers are counted as high as 10 per cent of the US adults, according to a Reuters poll last year.

British American Tobacco was contacted for comment on the Government’s proposal, but have not responded in time for this article.

NZ won’t make smokefree by 2025 target – study

Aug 5th, 2016
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http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/nz-wont-make-smokefree-by-2025-target–study-2016080420

A new study shows New Zealand is way off its target to become smokefree by 2025.

The Government has committed to a goal of reducing smoking to 5 percent of the population or less within the next nine years.

But researchers at the University of Otago, in a series of articles published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, say current efforts aren’t enough.

“We want to achieve pretty much nil smoking,” says Prof Richard Edwards.

“Or certainly less than 5 percent, in all groups of the population, and our evidence is that for Māori we’re not going to do that until 2060, rather than 2025.”

For smoker Rachel Beaumont, her story is a familiar one.

“I got addicted at a young age. Plus like both my parents smoke, my whole family smokes,” she says.

“I know it’s not good for me but it’s hard to give up, aye?”

Smoking is the single biggest preventable risk factor for premature death and morbidity in New Zealand – it’s worst among Māori and Pacific people.

Efforts are being made to lower rates – taxes on cigarettes are going up, there are health warnings on packs, and the Government’s looking to bring in plain packaging. Even smoking in public spaces is under threat as councils investigate new bylaws.

But are all these measures working?

While overall rates are slowly declining, now around 15 percent, more than a third of Māori (35.5 percent) and almost a quarter of Pacific people in New Zealand smoke (22.4 percent).

The rates among women are even higher.

“Being brought up like people around us smoked, so I guess we do it too,” says one woman smoker.

She’s trying to cut down because at 27, it’s already affecting her health.

“I’m down from a pack a day to about four cigarettes a day.”

Māori and Pacific people are at a much higher risk of hospitalisation or death from respiratory disease.

Ministry of Health figures show Māori are 3.5 times more likely to be hospitalised for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than non-Māori, and Māori children are one-and-a-half times more likely to have asthma than non-Māori children.

The Ministry of Health says while smoking rates have halved overall in the past 30 years, it has “priority populations where we need to do better – that includes our Māori and Pacific people, where there’s a high burden of harm caused by tobacco.”

Researchers says more could be done to raise awareness and reduce supply.

“Tobacco is available in every dairy, every supermarket, every gas station,” says Prof Edwards.

“We’re not trying to reduce the supply of tobacco and we’re not doing enough on the mass-media campaigning side.”

But for some, like Ms Beaumont, it will take more than money and health warnings to quit.

“If I got sick, if I got cancer or something, then yep, I’ll give up.”

Policy Options for the Regulation of Electronic Cigarettes: A consultation document

Aug 2nd, 2016
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http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/policy-options-regulation-electronic-cigarettes-consultation-document

Summary

Electronic cigarettes (e cigarettes) are a relatively new and evolving product. Currently, the sale and supply of nicotine e cigarettes are prohibited, while smoked tobacco, which is more harmful for users, can be sold legally. Users obtain nicotine e cigarettes through importation and illegal local sales. The existing provisions for the regulation of e cigarettes, found primarily in the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990 and the Medicines Act 1981, are not adequate. The legal status of e cigarettes is currently confusing and, as a consequence, the laws are not routinely enforced.

The risks and benefits of e cigarettes are uncertain but there is emerging evidence that e cigarette use may substantially reduce the burden of disease caused by smoking.

The Ministry of Health is consulting on policy options for the regulation of e cigarettes, including possible amendments to the SFEA. This consultation aims to clarify the legal position.

This publication contains a consultation submission form with specific questions to guide submissions due by 5 pm Monday 12 September 2016.

Auckland Council to review investments

Aug 1st, 2016
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Auckland Council will conduct a full review of its investments after revelations that one of its funds holds shares in sugary drink and tobacco companies.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/309854/auckland-council-to-review-investments

It will also investigate why it invested in the fund in the first place.

The council had about $320 million invested with 11 different fund managers in New Zealand and overseas.

An investigation by RNZ News found one of those funds holds shares in the world’s biggest soft-drink manufacturer Coca-Cola, the chocolate and confectionary giant Hershey’s, theinternational coffee chain Starbucks and British American Tobacco.

The Janus Global Research Growth fund also invested in two of the world’s biggest alcohol companies SABMiller and Pernod Ricard.

Those investments contradicted the work the council was doing to fight obesity and smoking, as well as its responsible investment policy, Councillor Chris Darby said.

He told Checkpoint with John Campbell the stake in British American Tobacco was of particular concern and the council’s investment agency should have known better than to invest in it.

“I would expect that those in governance and management at that entity to have identified that particular investment well in advance. I mean, it should have been revealed by them much, much earlier and sold down,” he said.

Mr Darby feared there may be similar investments among some of the other 10 funds the council invested in.

Last week the council announced it would ban all sugar-sweetened drinks from vending machines at its 21 leisure centres in a bid to “show leadership in the battle against obesity and type 2 diabetes.”

In 2013, smoking was banned at all parks, playgrounds, stadiums, sportfields, swimming pools, council buildings and bus and train stations.

The council will this week consider strengthening its smoke-free policy as part of its commitment to making New Zealand smoke-free by 2025.

Councillors shocked at investments

Auckland councillors contacted by RNZ were shocked to learn of the investments.

“This is more than a little embarrassing for council,” councillor Chris Darby said.

“It’s inconsistent with where the council wants to go and without question it’s not a good look. I believe that my colleagues around the council table will see this rectified,” he said.

“For two years I have been working with the Smoke-free Coalition and Cancer Society on getting council to move faster towards being smoke-free.

“After almost a year’s delay the Smoke-free Policy Review paper comes before the Regional Strategy & Policy Committee this Thursday. So the British American Tobacco stake poses an even bigger embarrassment, one that requires full sell down as soon as possible,” Mr Darby said.

He told Checkpoint with John Campbell the stake in British American Tobacco was of particular concern and the council’s investment agency should have known better than to invest in it.

“I would expect that those in in governance and management at that entity to have identified that particular investment well in advance. I mean, it should have been revealed by them much, much earlier and sold down,” he said.

He feared there may be similar investments among some of the other 10 funds the council invested in.

Auckland Council finance committee chair Penny Webster was also surprised to learn of the investments in soft drink, alcohol and tobacco companies.

“I wasn’t aware of it, but I will certainly go back and ask some questions now,” she said.

The council had a responsible investment policy but councillors would not necessarily be given that level of detail unless they asked for it, she said.

Auckland University epidemiologist and FIZZ founder Gerhard Sundborn said the council needed to better align its policies with its financial decisions.

“It’s important that councils do check where they are investing their funds and ensure they’re investing them responsibly in companies that meet the ethical considerations that they have,” he said.

“The decision to remove sugary drinks from vending machines was a great start. I’m confident that the council and government will take into consideration more now where they invest their funds,” he said.

Council has ‘responsible investment policy’

Auckland Council treasurer John Bishop said the council did not know exactly which companies its 11 funds were invested in because that information was often confidential.

The decision to drop sugar-sweetened drinks from vending machines at council-run leisure centres was an operational, not policy, decision, he said.

“The portfolio originates from funds held by legacy councils. Investments are made through a range of fund managers, based in New Zealand and overseas, and advice is taken from a professional investment advisor,” he said in a statement.

“As part of this process we continually look to align our investment policies with best practice, including those associated with responsible investment.

“Auckland Council has a responsible investment policy which is regularly reviewed in association with our overall investment policies. We have certain confidentiality restrictions with some of our fund managers which inhibit our ability to disclose specific asset holdings,” he said.

The fund managers were required to act consistently with the council’s responsible investing policy, he said.

The council’s policy did not ban particular investments but stated it should choose fund managers that could demonstrate a high degree of alignment with the principles of responsible investing.

“Council considers that a policy of active engagement with companies rather than screening or avoiding companies based on environmental, social and governance criteria will deliver the least cost, best outcome,” it stated.

The government-owned New Zealand Superannuation Fund and ACC banned investment in tobacco companies in 2007, but still invested alcohol, soft drink and fast-food companies.

The council was looking at divesting its investment portfolio over the next two years to help pay for infrastructure costs.

Smokefree Coalition closes its doors

Jul 31st, 2016
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Smokefree Coalition closes its doors with celebration and sadness

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1607/S00106/smokefree-coalition-closes-its-doors.htm

The organisation that provided a platform for unity and collaboration in New Zealand tobacco control is no more.

At a Wellington celebration tinged with sadness members of the Smokefree Coalition gathered tonight to commemorate 20 years of achievement in reducing smoking in New Zealand while lamenting the loss of government funding that has forced it to close down operations.

“The Smokefree Coalition helped provide a united voice for the various tobacco control organisations in New Zealand,” said Chair Dr Jan Pearson.

“And it was that unity that made us able to achieve plain packaging; the ban on retail tobacco displays; reduced duty free allowances, smokefree bars, restaurants, workplaces and prisons; and annual tax increases.

“These are all measures that have saved countless lives and helped avoid untold suffering by creating a national environment where smoking is no longer cool or even normal – and making it much harder for tobacco companies to convince New Zealanders and their children that it is.”

The Smokefree Coalition is also willing to take much of the credit for the Government’s commitment to becoming a smokefree nation by 2025.

“It was our original Vision 2020 document, produced with the help of our members, that got the ball rolling for that commitment and it was our Smokefree Roadmap 2025 that laid out the pathway to achieve it,” Dr Pearson said.

The Government announced last year it would cease all existing contracts in tobacco control and the Smokefree Coalition contract was not renewed under the new funding strategy. Dr Pearson does not believe this was the right decision but says it is time to pass the mantle to the organisations that remain and wish them well.

“There is still much to be done in New Zealand tobacco control including better support for people to quit, more services for Maori and Pasifika and better policing of retailers – too many of whom are still willing to sell to minors who subsequently become addicted.”

Dr Pearson said the sector relied heavily on the energetic leadership of Dr Prudence Stone and said she would be sadly missed.

“Dr Stone will start her new role as Children’s Rights Advocate for UNICEF on Monday 1 August, and we hope there is room in the new position for her to remain a champion for the prevention of smoking uptake among children.

“She has been tireless in smokefree cars advocacy, which is absolutely a children’s rights issue. The public support it overwhelmingly so its only barrier is lack of political will and leadership. I am sure she will continue to remind our politicians about this and the many other rights to good health children have.”

Tobacco campaigner pushing for plain packaging

Jul 19th, 2016
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http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/390862/tobacco-campaigner-pushing-plain-packaging

A world-renowned anti-tobacco campaigner has arrived in New Zealand to push the Government on introducing plain tobacco packaging.

While plain packaging for tobacco is likely to be in place early next year, the Government is consulting on the move, including design for packs.

Ahead of the cut-off for consultation at the end of this month, Kylie Lindorff, chair of Cancer Council Australia’s tobacco issues committee, this week flew in to help drum up support for the measure, which she wanted introduced as soon as possible.

Since standardised packaging was enforced in Australia in 2012, there had been an increase in people wanting to quit smoking, along with an ongoing reduction in smoking up-take.

A post-implementation review of standardised packaging in Australia concluded the tobacco standardised packaging measure had begun to achieve its public health objectives of reducing smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke, and was expected to continue to do so into the future.

“Research conducted after the implementation of standardised packaging in Australia has shown the tobacco industry is still finding way to advertise to consumers,” said Ms Lindorff, who will be giving a seminar on packaging in Auckland tomorrow .

“For instance, brand and variant names of tobacco products flourished after standardised packaging was adopted in an attempt to remind smoker of the supposed brand differences their old decorated packs conveyed. New Zealand should learn from this and restrict brand and variant names.”

Cancer Society Auckland’s chief executive, John Loof, said he hoped the Government would learn what had happened in Australia.

“Standardised packaging has proven to be effective and legally viable in Australia,” he said.

“The longer we wait, the further removed we are from achieving the Government’s goal of a Smoke-free Aotearoa by 2025.”

Tobacco use remained the leading cause of preventable death in New Zealand, with 4500 to 5000 deaths every year.

While plain packaging moves had been challenged via the World Trade Organisation, the Government has expressed confidence in being able to progress with the measures, which have already been introduced in several other countries.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), signed in February, also allows tobacco-control measures, so New Zealand could advance anti-smoking policies without risking a legal challenge.

In a separate move, hefty excise increases announced in this year’s Budget would push up the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes from about $20 now to around $30 in 2020.

New Zealand ready to move on standardised tobacco packaging

Jul 19th, 2016
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http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1607/S00059/new-zealand-ready-to-move-on-standardised-tobacco-packaging.htm

The New Zealand government’s consultation on the draft standardised tobacco product packaging will close at the end of July. Chair of Cancer Council Australia’s Tobacco Issues Committee and renowned global authority on standardised tobacco packaging, Kylie Lindorff is visiting New Zealand to encourage the Government to implement the measure as soon as possible.

Standardised packaging was enforced in Australia in 2012 – the impact of which has seen an increase in people wanting to quit smoking and an ongoing reduction in smoking up-take. A post-implementation review of standardised packaging in Australia concluded the tobacco standardised packaging measure had begun to achieve its public health objectives of reducing smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke and it is expected to continue to do so into the future.

Lindorff is supporting New Zealand to follow Australia’s lead and tighten the regulations they have adopted. “Research conducted after the implementation of standardised packaging in Australia has shown the tobacco industry is still finding way to advertise to consumers – for instance, brand and variant names of tobacco products flourished after standardised packaging was adopted in an attempt to remind smoker of the supposed brand differences their old decorated packs conveyed. New Zealand should learn from this and restrict brand and variant names,” commented Lindorff.

Cancer Society Auckland Chief Executive, John Loof, trusts the Government will learn from what has happened in Australia and not delay this measure any longer.

“Standardised packaging has proven to be effective and legally viable in Australia. The longer we wait, the further removed we are from achieving the Government’s goal of a Smoke-free Aotearoa by 2025,” he said. “Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in New Zealand, with 4500 to 5000 deaths every year”.

Lindorff will be in Auckland on Wednesday 20 July 2016 to give a seminar on standardised tobacco packaging hosted by Cancer Society Auckland and Hāpai te Hauora.

Removal of tobacco displays helps reduce smoking, says study

Jul 7th, 2016
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Removal of point-of-sale (POS) tobacco displays from shops including convenience stores and gas stations has helped reduce smoking among New Zealand school students to record low levels, according to a recent University of Otago study.

http://www.petrolplaza.com/news/industry/MiZlbiYyMDIxNSYmMQ%3D%3D

The research, published in the international journal Tobacco Control, used an annual classroom-based survey of around 25,000 Year 10 students in the country and compared findings from an earlier study conducted before the tobacco display ban took effect in the country in 2012.

“The proportion of children who had tried smoking but were not regular smokers fell, from 23-24% in 2011 and 2012 before the changes, to 17% in 2014. The proportion of smoking students who were buying or trying to buy cigarettes from stores also declined,” stated the research.

The reductions both in experimental and regular smoking considered at their lowest level for two decades were attributed to “the removal of point-of-sale (POS) tobacco displays, accompanied by increased enforcement measures and penalties for selling tobacco to minors.”

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