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20 December 2013

First Reading of NZ Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill set for early 2014

5000 New Zealanders killed by Tobacco every year

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A Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Products and Packaging) Amendment Bill is ready for a first reading as soon as the New Zealand Parliament resumes in the new year.

“Removing tobacco company colours, logos and other marketing ploys designed to make tobacco products glamorous and attractive is an important step in reducing the uptake of smoking.” said Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia.

“Tobacco is a deadly product that kills 5000 New Zealanders every year and is one of the leading causes of life threatening illnesses such as heart and lung disease and cancer.  Plain packaging, together with bigger health warnings, will send a clear message that tobacco causes serious illness and death.”

“Last week the latest Census and New Zealand Health Survey smoking statistics were released confirming that smoking rates are coming down, which is great news. But there is still a long way to go to reach our goal of a Smokefree Aotearoa-New Zealand by 2025.” 

“The World Trade Organization (WTO) challenges against Australia’s plain packaging regime by five countries (Ukraine, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Indonesia) are still underway and the New Zealand Government will continue to watch their progress closely.”

“We are convinced that plain packaging is a really important step on our path to being a Smokefree country by 2025, and that it will stack up against our WTO obligations.  That is why we are pushing forward to take the legislation through the Parliamentary processes without delay.”

“The Government takes all its international obligations seriously, and that includes both WTO agreements and the United Nations Tobacco Treaty (officially titled the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control). These agreements and treaties can and should work together to boost both international trade and public health.  Plain packaging is a good example where we can achieve both objectives,” says Mrs Turia.

“Internationally agreed guidelines for implementing the UN Tobacco Treaty recommend that countries consider plain packaging as part of their comprehensive tobacco control programmes.  Australia has shown the way, and New Zealand will follow.  Ireland has recently approved its draft plain packaging legislation for consultation, and the United Kingdom has also announced it will put regulatory powers in place so that it is able to proceed with plain packaging after it completes an independent review due to report back in March 2014.”

For more information, please visit the website of the New Zeland Government.

Last update

Friday 07 June 2019

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