Abstract
The new Prime Minister has repeatedly said the Government is committed to addressing the tobacco epidemic (https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/503342/smokefree-legislation-would-have driven-cigarette-black-market-christopher-luxon) and that it will follow the evidence; both coalition agreements declare decisions will be “based on data and evidence”. Yet, one of the coalition government’s proposed actions – to repeal the world-leading smokefree legislation - runs directly contrary to evidence and will ensure smoking continues to cost thousands of lives and millions of health care dollars. Prime Minister Luxon could yet display strong leadership by retaining legislation that will end the smoking epidemic. The new coalition government has set out its decision making principles, which include their intention to make “decisions …based on data and evidence
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/actnz/mailings/6945/attachments/original/national_act_agreement.pdf?
1700781466)”.
Yet one of their initial actions proposes repealing Aotearoa New Zealand’s (NZ) world-leading smokefree legislation (https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2022/0079/latest/whole.html#lms708309).
Coalition agreements between the National Party and its partners, ACT https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nationalparty/pages/18466/attachments/original/1700778592/National_ACT_Agreement.pdf?1700778592 and NZ First https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nationalparty/pages/18466/attachments/original/1700778597/NZFirst_Agreement_2.pdf?1700778597, outline the government’s intention to remove three specific policies enacted The Smokefree legislation is evidence-based, removing it is not.