Heart Foundation supports tobacco tax increase in Budget

May 26, 2016

Heart Foundation supports tobacco tax increase in Budget 2016

The Heart Foundation supports the continuation of tobacco taxes, as announced in the Government’s 2016 Budget today.

Between 2012 and 2016, the Government has increased tobacco tax by 10 per cent each year, in an effort to reduce smoking and achieve the Government’s goal of a smokefree New Zealand.

“The impact of tobacco smoking on heart, stroke and blood vessel disease means that it continues to be one of the largest contributors to cardiovascular disease,” says the Heart Foundation’s Manager Pacific Health, Louisa Ryan.

“The Heart Foundation sees ridding tobacco from New Zealand’s future as vitally important. We would have preferred to see an increase greater than simply 10 per cent – which has become the status quo.

“In our submission on the draft Budget Policy Statement 2016, we recommended a tobacco tax increase of 40 per cent followed by successive 20 per cent increases.

ENDS

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