Tobacco report confirms the harm of tax hikes

20 DECEMBER 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Responding to Earnst & Young’s report on tobacco excise taxes, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says:

“The single-minded focus on ’Smokefree 2025’ through higher taxes has resulted in serious financial pain for smokers, who sacrifice essentials for themselves and their families. In addition, excise tax has had unintended consequences such as violent robbery and illegal importation. These negative consequences far outweigh the effectiveness of further tax hikes. Smokefree, safer alternatives like vaping are proven to be much more effective at both saving lives and saving poor families from eye-wateringly high taxes.”

The Taxpayers’ Union report Up in Smoke: The social costs of tobacco excise outlines the various harms caused by tobacco tax.

ENDS

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