New Zealand: Minister of Health accused of bowing to the tobacco industry

The Minister for Health, Casey Costello, in charge of tobacco control policy in New Zealand, recently reduced excise duties on heated tobacco products by 50 %, a measure discreetly announced on the Customs website.

Such a measure seems to meet the pressing demands of the tobacco industry, like Philip Morris, market leader in heating tobacco, which has been calling for tax rebates for these products since 2018.

A controversial decision seen as support for the tobacco industry

The decision to grant a tax rebate to heated tobacco products sparked outrage among public health stakeholders, accusing the minister in charge of tobacco control of favoring the financial interests of the tobacco industry. As Janet Hoek, professor of public health, points out, this measure seems to favor the tobacco industry. Faced with these criticisms, the delegate minister justified the measure as being a trial, put in place for a specific period. [1]

A decision going against the very recommendations of the Ministry of Health

In her argument, Casey Costello presented heated tobacco as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes, and also as a potential cessation tool, particularly for heavy smokers. According to the Minister responsible for the fight against tobacco, heated tobacco products present a health risk similar to that of electronic cigarettes and are less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Such a statement goes against the scientific literature, since no independent study confirms that the consumption of heated tobacco presents a reduced risk compared to traditional cigarettes. Similarly, the scientific literature emphasizes that heated tobacco is incontestably more harmful than electronic cigarettes. The Minister's argument is in total opposition to that of her own department, which recalls the harmfulness of these products and their ineffectiveness as a cessation tool. The speech of the Minister Delegate for Health in fact echoes the argument of the tobacco industry on heated tobacco, which seeks to develop this product by instrumentalizing the notion of risk reduction. These claims, which are not based on any independent scientific data, are primarily aimed at obtaining advantageous taxation from the public authorities.

Considering that such a measure could help achieve the “smoke-free” goal by 2025, Costello is also considering the possibility of authorizing the marketing of snus and nicotine sachets. Likewise, this proposal is not unanimous among his ministry, which has on the contrary expressed reservations, highlighting the potential ineffectiveness of snus and nicotine sachets as smoking cessation tools. The ministry also argued that snus could lead to a higher risk of dependence than that associated with tobacco smoked among young people, and that its consumption could increase the risk of certain cancers.

The influence of the tobacco industry in the current government in New Zealand

This is not the first time that Casey Costello has found himself at the center of controversy due to the alignment of his proposals with the interests of the tobacco industry. At the start of 2024, she proposed de-indexing the taxation of tobacco products from inflation for the next three years, justifying this measure by the argument, often used by the industry, according to which an increase in prices would penalize the most vulnerable populations. precarious. However, scientific literature shows that increasing tobacco taxes is one of the most effective methods for reducing consumption, particularly among vulnerable populations, thereby helping to reduce social inequalities linked to smoking. At the same time, since its designation at the end of 2023,[2] New Zealand's new government has decided to reverse several commitments made by the previous majority on tobacco control, abandoning crucial measures such as banning the sale of tobacco to young people born after 2009, restricting the number of points sales and the reduction of nicotine content in products. Costello's recent proposals appear to continue this trend, calling into question New Zealand's ability to meet its public health goals.

Furthermore, this new measure of more favorable taxation for heating tobacco goes against the international commitments of New Zealand, which has ratified the treaty of the Framework Convention of the World Health Organization for tobacco control (FCTC). Indeed, Article 5.3 of the FCTC provides a general obligation to protect public policies with regard to interference from the tobacco industry. The implementing guidelines associated with these provisions recommend not granting “incentives, privileges or advantages to the tobacco industry for the establishment or continuation of its activities”.

©Tobacco Free Generation

D.T.