Blue Jackie: Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Blue Jackie: Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Sitting date: 14 July 2011. Volume:674;Page:20133. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Dr JACKIE BLUE (National) 
: 
 I am pleased to rise in the third reading of the Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Amendment Bill. This bill prohibits displays of tobacco products and will tighten up tobacco controls and enforcement. I congratulate Minister Tariana Turia the Maori Affairs Committee and also the Health Committee on their work on this legislation which complements other measures already undertaken by the Government to date to address the harm from cigarette and tobacco smoking. 
One of the initiatives undertaken by the Government was an unprecedented increase in the excise duty on tobacco products by 30 percent over time which has been proven to be the most effective way of preventing people from smoking and of stopping smoking. Of note is the fact that Quitline calls have increased dramatically and attempts to quit are up by over 50 percent. This has been backed up by massively improved access to smoking cessation treatments which is up by 82 percent in the last 18 months. I think that smokers need to realise that smoking is an addiction; they should not be tough on themselves. They need to have nicotine replacement products to help to stop the effects of this addictive product. Another initiative undertaken by the Government is smoking cessation advice to hospitalised in-patients which is one of our six national health targets. We are making good progress on that front with more and more in-patients being advised about ways to stop smoking. It is all about those trigger points: getting people to think about what they are doing and about their smoking and asking whether it is about time they stopped smoking for the sake of their health. 
Who would have thought even 5 or 10 years ago that our prisons would ever be smoke-free. They have been smoke-free since 1 July. The transition phase has gone well with almost 6000 prisoners currently on nicotine replacement products. Of course the ban includes staff; they are not allowed to smoke at work. This whole venture has been planned for over a year. In the planning there has obviously been education and prisoners have been on nicotine replacement for some time leading up to 1 July. The venture has gone smoothly and I congratulate the Minister of Corrections the Hon Judith Collins. 
This bill has virtually the universal support of the House and that is commendable. It allows for a transition phase for retailers and it is important to note that the provisions extend to internet sales of tobacco and herbal smoking products. Of course sponsorship activities by manufacturers importers and retailers of tobacco products are prohibited. The penalties for selling to minors have been toughened up and increased. The penalties are $5000 for an employee and $10000 for a body corporate. The penalties are certainly up quite a lot from the current ones. I think the tougher penalties send the very strong message that if retailers sell to minors it will cost them dearly in the pocket. Those doing that will pay a high price. This Government is serious about reducing harm and this bill goes one more step along the way to achieving that. Thank you.