39061 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health

39061 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health: What progress, if any, has been made in the quarter January to March 2024 on the action ‘Establish a compliance network working group to facilitate intelligence sharing between SFEOs and Customs officers and coordinate compliance efforts, including to prevent the illicit trade of tobacco products’ under ‘Focus Area 6: Ensure manufacturers, importers and retailers meet their legal obligations’ within the Ministry of Health’s ‘Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan’?

Hon Casey Costello: This Government remains committed to the Smokefree 2025 goal but supports a change in approach to the way that goal is achieved. We are focused on providing people with practical tools and supports to help people to become and remain smokefree. This includes ensuring the provision of effective services to stop smoking, access to alternative products to help smoking cessation and social marketing campaigns to stop smoking and vaping. We also intend to further strengthen the enforcement and regulation of tobacco and vaping products, starting with increased penalties for the sale of cigarettes and vapes to minors. I have asked Health New Zealand to provide me with comprehensive advice on a suite of initiatives to support the Smokefree 2025 goal, with a focus on populations with high smoking rates.