Turia Tariana: Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Turia Tariana: Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:673;Page:19665] 
Hon TARIANA TURIA (Associate Minister of Health) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker Robertson. I move  
That the Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Amendment Bill be now read a second time 
. I start by acknowledging the work of the Health Committee for its dedicated efforts in considering the bill for its report back on the bill and for the helpful amendments. If I could be so bold as to make a preliminary comment about the political support for this legislation it would be to acknowledge the widespread and sincere attitude of support for smoke-free initiatives which I believe is both heartening and responsible. I also acknowledge all of the 150 submitters who participated in the select committee process.  
This is a very important bill. It is primarily about protecting children and young people and the next generations to come. I am very proud that this Government is committed to actions that will reduce the number of children and young people who take up smoking. I think it is vital that we set this bill in context; a context that is about saving lives and advancing the well-being of our current and future generations. The key facts are in sum that smoking is the single leading preventable cause of early death in New Zealand and that half of all long-term smokers die of a smoking-related illness losing an average of 15 years of life. An estimated 4500 to 5000 New Zealanders die each year due to smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke. Maori are disproportionately overrepresented in these mortality statistics. About 650000 New Zealanders or one in five people over the age of 15 continue to put their health and lives at significant risk by smoking. This figure includes approximately 155000 current smokers who are Maori and about 45 percent of the Maori population aged between 15 and 65. Each one of these statistics on their own is a blight on the nation but the cumulative effect is devastating and we cannot tolerate inaction.  
The New Zealand Government is committed to reducing tobacco consumption and to the goal of seeing Aotearoa become a nation that is essentially smoke-free by 2025. As this House is well aware the Government considered raising the price of tobacco products through tax excise increases as an effective measure to reduce smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption. In April 2010 the Government moved to raise the tobacco excise in three stages of 10 percent with the last increment to come into force on 1 January 2012. Subject to an evaluation of these recent excise increases the Government will consider further sizable and regular tobacco excise increases from 2013 onwards. That was the first step.  
This bill takes us forward with the next stage of the programme. This bill is a key mechanism within the package of increased control measures focused on the retail environment. This bill will make the marketing of tobacco products a much more difficult proposition for the tobacco industry. The bill achieves this by prohibiting the display of tobacco products in shops. People will no longer be confronted with a wall of tobacco every time they go into the dairy. These measures will also aid those who are trying to quit by removing some of the temptation to make impulse purchases. The bill also removes the ability of retailers to include tobacco-related words in their shop signage. As an example “John’s Discount Cigarettes” could no longer be plastered all over the shop front. It also makes it much more difficult for companies to enter into covert sponsorship arrangements such as the exclusive supply arrangements we have seen at recent years’ events like outdoor musical festivals. These are sponsorships in all but name which have been prohibited since 1990. The bill clarifies and extends the prohibition on such sponsorships.  
The bill also increases the penalties for selling tobacco products to children and young people from $2000 to $5000 for an individual and up to $10000 for a business. The legislation provides for this offence and a number of other offences to be dealt with by infringement notices rather than costly and time-consuming prosecutions through the courts.  
Therefore this bill is an important step towards the Government’s goal of making New Zealand a smoke-free nation by 2025. We fully acknowledge that there may be some compliance costs to businesses in making the changes required. However we also believe that these extra costs are completely justified when we look at the harm caused by tobacco products. Tobacco products should not be treated like other consumer goods and they definitely should not hold pride of place where they can be seen directly behind the counter. As the recent report of the Maori Affairs Committee inquiry into the tobacco industry in Aotearoa and the consequences of tobacco use for Maori showed there is still much to be done in controlling the scourge that is tobacco. This bill demonstrates that commitment through a specific initiative targeting tobacco displays.  
In the spirit of things to come I will highlight my interest in the developments occurring in Australia in relation to plain packaging. Plain packaging is a key recommendation of the international Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which is a World Health Organization treaty with over 170 signatories. It is part of a comprehensive global approach to removing tobacco promotion and advertising and controlling the part that tobacco packaging plays in all that. The Government is supportive of the Australian initiative and Australia is leading the world in this. Many countries including New Zealand are closely watching the events surrounding this change.  
At a non-communicable disease conference that I attended in Moscow cigarette smoking was considered to be the most significant contributor to non-communicable diseases costing families economically socially and in the long term their health and their lives.  
Finally I say this bill is one of the stepping stones to achieving our goal of ensuring that New Zealand is a smoke-free nation by 2025. I urge all members to support this bill and help to ensure that our children and our rangatahi have the best possible chance to enjoy good health throughout their lives. At the time of this bill’s first reading I said I was confident that this bill would help in reducing the harms caused by tobacco in New Zealand. It was extremely heartening to observe the level of cross-party support at the first reading and in the Health Committee. I look forward to that ongoing and universal support in the subsequent stages. I commend the bill to the House.