60209 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health

60209 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health: What progress, if any, was made in the quarter April to June 2024 to ‘Implement approaches to minimise harm from alcohol’ under Outcome 3: New Zealanders have fewer cancers, as part of the New Zealand Cancer Action Plan 2019 – 2029?

Hon Casey Costello: The annual statutory Alcohol Levy setting process was completed. This process, (informed by the recently completed Alcohol Levy Review), resulted in Cabinet’s agreement in June 2024 to a Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustment that has returned the levy funding to the purchasing power that it had 14 years ago, and means that health-led, and community based alcohol levy initiatives can be sustained and strengthened. Additionally, in June the NZIER costs of alcohol harms analysis (that supported the levy review) was published. This report provides an important reference for community groups and agencies on the broad harms caused by alcohol, increasing awareness and providing information for agencies to target harm reduction efforts, including encouraging people to reduce alcohol consumption, and therefore their risks of developing cancers.