Nurses are generally positive that the increased tobacco tax sends a signal that the government is serious about encouraging people to quit smoking.
The excise taxes on tobacco are to rise 10 per cent a year on New Years Day for the next four years, in addition to the inflation increase in tobacco taxes.
The Budget also provides $5 million a year for the next four years for an innovation fund, called Pathway to Smokefree 2025, for programmes to discourage smoking and encourage quitting.
Geoff Annals, chief executive of NZNO, said the government had to be congratulated for continuing its strategy to reduce the harm caused by tobacco.
Jenny Carryer, executive director of the College of Nurses, said she saw the focus on smoking less as ‘”really valuable” but was “nervous” the flow-on effect might result in some low-income families making hard choices on how to spend the grocery money.
“I’m wary that some children may starve as their addicted parents can’t go without cigarettes.”
Deborah Davies, a spokeswoman for the College of Primary Health Care Nurses NZNO, said primary health care nurses would be targeting the increased smokefree funding as a basis for a range of health promotional activities.
Daryle Deering, president of the College of Mental Health Nurses, which also includes addiction services nurses, also saw tobacco tax rise and innovation fund to reduce tobacco addiction as a plus.
The Cancer Society and ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) have both given a firm thumbs up to the tobacco tax increase, which they see as a commitment to meeting the Smokefree 2025 goal.
ASH spokesman, Michael Colhoun, said previous tax increases have been highly successful in reducing smoking rates by spurring quit attempts.
The Cancer Society’s tobacco control advisor said smoking was higher amongst vulnerable populations and they were the people most sensitive towards price increases. The higher prices would make it less likely that young people would start smoking.
