81152 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health

81152 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health: What progress, if any, has been made in the quarter July to September 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: In November 2024 I released a new ‘Getting to Smokefree 2025’ plan, which sets out our priorities and approach for the next year. It will focus on key intervention points along the smokefree continuum and target those populations with the highest smoking rates. The recently passed Smokefree Amendment Bill further strengthens the enforcement and regulation of tobacco and vaping products, starting with increased penalties for the sale of cigarettes and vapes to minors, banning disposable vapes, restricting visibility of vapes and further restricting where vape shops can open up.