By Ellen O’Dwyer of RNZ
The Labour Party has announced plans to reinstate its Smokefree Generation policy.
The party’s health spokeswoman Ayesha Verrall announced the policy at a panel discussion on health and harm prevention in Parliament this afternoon.
Labour had already signalled an intent to bring back the policy in a speech from Labour leader Chris Hipkins in 2024.
It would reverse the Government’s heated tobacco policy – which introduced a 50% reduction in the excise duty for heated tobacco products, Verrall said.
She also said the party would introduce a common licensing regime for tobacco and vape products.
The Smokefree Generation policy, when it was announced under the previous Labour Government, would have meant that people born on or after January 1, 2009 would never be able to purchase tobacco products again.
It also heavily restricted the number of stores selling tobacco products and dramatically reduced nicotine levels.
It was repealed in 2024 by the current Government.
Verrall said Labour would reinstate the policy, but the birthdate after which people could purchase products would now change if the law passed. She did not say what that date was.
She said future generations needed to be protected “against the harms of tobacco” and gains in reducing smoking addiction had been wound back under the current Government.
Verrall said the policy would no longer seek to reduce the amount of nicotine in tobacco products to very low levels.
That could drive people into a black market, she said.
“It is a very stringent control on tobacco products.
“I’m very aware that expert views on this matters have changed, as we have watched very stringent tobacco controls in Australia coincide with growth in an illicit market,” Verrall said.
Green Party health spokeswoman Hūhana Lyndon and Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, who were both at the panel event, said they supported reinstating the policy.
Lyndon said: “We’re absolutely supportive of having that more stringent licensing approach. We know that vaping is also an issue, and it’s an entry point for young people.”
But Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said she would not support a change to the heated tobacco excise policy.
“We are trying to get people to stop smoking and reduced-harm pathways are the best way to do it.”
She said stringent policies in Australia had failed to deliver, resulting in a “massive” black market problem.
Costello said she was supportive of a common licensing policy for tobacco products.
It was also something which Act’s Todd Stephenson, who was also at the panel event, said the party was open to considering.
He said Act was against prohibition-type policies, referring to black market concerns.
“I’d be open to considering it, but again, it’s not an Act policy.”
Finance Minister and National deputy leader Nicola Willis said the Government stood by its smokefree policies.
“On our watch, the number of people smoking in New Zealand has declined, so we stand by our record.”