CigaretteThe Statistics New Zealand for the Smokefree Coalition published a report revealing that the annual rate of cigarette consumption in New Zealand has decreased by 1.3 billion in 2010, in comparison to the rate recorded 10 years ago. The report showed that the cigarette consumption dropped by 15% than last year.

The report, authored by Dr. Prudence Stone, the Director of Smokefree Coalition, depended on further data, which was obtained from previous studies, stating that 50% of the adults in New Zealand are smokers.

According to Murray Laugesen, a Tobacco Researcher at the Otago University School of Public Health in Wellington, this significant decline is attributed to the increase in the prices of cigarettes and their taxes which took place in April 2010.  The 10% increase in taxes resulted not only in a decrease in consumption, but also a decrease in the rate of production and import.

The obtained data shows that in the coming 2 years, the percentage would reach 20%.

Professor Stone stated, "Consumption looked to be slowly climbing at the end of 2009's financial year with production and imports reaching $3.4 billion (up from $2.8 billion in 2008). The tax increase has nipped that frightening trend in the bud”.

(Top News, 31/08/2010)