6513 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health

6513 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health: What advice, if any, has the Minister received, within the timeframe of receiving her ministerial warrant to 16 April 2024, on how lowering nicotine levels in cigarettes sold by retailers will result in an increase in ram raids and theft, by title, date, and publication?

Hon Casey Costello: I refer the Member to my response to Written Question 6509 (2024). I note that the advice I received was highly speculative and devoid of any causal evidence linking prohibitionist policies to reduced crime. Conversely, there is already a strong body of evidence that prohibitionist policies contribute to greater crime, and with potential links to organised crime through illicit tobacco trade, this Government is not interested in enabling another avenue for gangs to terrorise New Zealand communities.