title: A gift and a burden: the purchase and distribution of duty-free tobacco and its potential impact upon Pacific people in New Zealand.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High smoking rates among Pacific people living within New Zealand (26.9%) are a significant and poorly understood problem. A proposed approach to tobacco control is to enhance restrictions on or ban duty-free sales, a pertinent notion for Pacific people given their frequent travel between New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. This study examines the purchase and distribution of duty-free tobacco by Pacific people, whether it is being used as a strategy to circumvent the tobacco excise tax increases and how duty-free cigarette sales are perceived within the Pacific community.
  
  
  METHODS
  We undertook a qualitative research study using six focus groups with Pacific smokers and non-smokers aged between 18 and 54 years. Half of the focus groups consisted of smokers and half non-smokers. We used a thematic analysis approach to identify, explore and report key themes within the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pacific smokers and non-smokers frequently purchase duty-free tobacco when travelling, and the usage of duty-free cigarettes for gift giving is a strongly embedded cultural value for Pacific peoples. However, nearly all participants strongly supported a proposal to reduce or ban duty-free tobacco sales.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest a ban on duty-free sales could be an important measure to help achieve the smokefree 2025 goal among Pacific communities in New Zealand. This measure would eliminate duty-free tobacco as a cheap form of supply, and efforts to denormalise the practice of gifting duty-free tobacco among Pacific people may also be helpful in reducing high prevalence rates within these communities.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Pacific Health & Development, Pacific Islands Families Study, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: El-Shadan
authors.initials: el-S
authors.lastname: Tautolo
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Whakauae Research for Māori Health & Development, Whanganui, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gifford
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003132:Commerce; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D037921:Gift Giving; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010139:Pacific Islands / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D019460:Tobacco Industry; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000191:economics*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control; D014195:Travel; D055815:Young Adult