Tobacco industry outrage shows progress - 20 April 2012

Squeals from the Tobacco industry about a law change which will enforce plain packaging in New Zealand, simply reinforce the move is a step in the right direction, says Labour’s Associate Health spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway.

His comments follow news of the tobacco industry’s backlash against government plans to enforce the plain packaging of tobacco products from July this year.

“The tobacco industry has a long history of supporting measures it knows won’t reduce smoking rates and fighting those that will,” Iain Lees-Galloway said.

“I called for New Zealand to move to plain packaging in 2011, so it comes as no suprise to me that the tobacco industry is crying wolf about the government’s most recent proposal.

“In fact, the more noise they make, the more I am convinced we are on the right track,” Iain Lees-Galloway said.

“Labour made swift progress in Government, getting smoking out of workplaces, out of bars and restaurants and increasing excise tax. We also put in place quit programmes to ensure people who wanted to quit smoking were supported.

“I am pleased to see this government is following in our footsteps. Tobacco companies need to understand that the days of tobacco regulation dividing parliament are over. We are united in the fight make New Zealand smokefree by 2025.

“Tobacco companies might have plenty of money and an army of lawyers, but as in Australia, New Zealand will continue to resist attempts to put the health