title: Government paralysis? Stable tobacco prices mean preventable deaths and disease persist, along with health inequalities in New Zealand.
abstract: Tobacco affordability, prices and tobacco tax rates have considerable effects on smoking uptake, consumption, and quitting. We examined the trends in New Zealand per capita tobacco consumption and real cigarette prices from 1975-2008. Since 1984, there has been a close inverse relationship between real price and per capita tobacco consumption. Thus price increases drive consumption falls. However, in the periods of 1992-1997 and 2002-2008, both price and consumption were largely stable. The stability since 2002 means other tobacco control interventions have been undercut by increased tobacco affordability (due to increased average real incomes). Furthermore, the lack of tobacco tax increases (to be used to fund better tobacco control) is against majority surveyed New Zealand public opinion, and may be contrary to even smokers' views. The great majority of smokers, who want to quit, could be assisted by more extensive programmes funded by the extra revenue from tobacco tax increases. These could include more prime-time mass media campaigns and greater Quitline capacity. Tobacco tax increases are a highly evidence-based policy that could help reduce harm to the health of New Zealanders and reduce health inequalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Box 7343 Wellington, New Zealand. george.thomson@otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Des
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Dea
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends; D033161:Government Regulation; D006291:Health Policy; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D015995:Prevalence; D011639:Public Opinion; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013660:Taxes / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D019460:Tobacco Industry / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends; D020340:Tobacco Use Cessation / Q000191:economics