Media release from Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners is welcoming the introduction to the House of a Bill to increase tobacco excise tax by 10% with immediate effect and congratulates Minister Turia on this important work. This follows recent advice from the College and other organisations.

College President Dr Harry Pert said, "The evidence shows this will have an impact on smoking rates amongst those who spend the highest proportion of their income on tobacco. As the College's recent letter to the Prime Minister, and Ministers Turia, Ryall and English indicated, it will be vital to dedicate extra tax income from the increase to smoking cessation programmes, especially targeting low income earners, Māori and Pacific smokers, at-risk youth and patients with chronic illnesses whose health is further compromised by smoking."

GPs play a key role in supporting smoking cessation amongst their patients. A recent study shows that linking two smoking cessation approaches - a personalised advice letter from a patient's GP and a voucher for a month's nicotine gum, appeared to prompt an increase in quit attempts. Further investment in these kinds of initiatives alongside the tax increase will be the most effective way to reduce smoking rates.  

GPs involved in the study - involving 831 patients from general practices in Auckland - were also very positive about the strategy. Research team member Marewa Glover of the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland described the research published in the Journal of Primary Health Care (JPHC), as "A strategy that shows promise as a simple way to increase the number of smokers making supported quit attempts through primary care."  

Despite progress in tobacco control, more than one in five New Zealanders still smoke tobacco regularly and smoking prevalence is much higher for Pacific peoples (28%) and Maori (44%).