1884 (2025). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health

1884 (2025). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health: What progress, if any, has occurred in the quarter towards the initiative to focus compliance visits in-store and online checks on ensuring manufacturers, distributors, and retailers comply with product and advertising restrictions, as included on page 13 of 'Getting to Smokefree 2025', as at 27 January 2025?

Hon Casey Costello: I am advised that compliance with product and advertising restrictions is assessed during proactive compliance assessments and when enforcement officers visit any retailer following a complaint. I am further advised that during the October - December 2024 quarter, 544 proactive compliance visits were made. Health New Zealand also received 93 complaints relating to tobacco and vape products; nine related specifically to advertising, and all of them resulting in an in-store compliance visit where breaches were addressed.