Auckland University's Professor Chris Bullen said the new government's arguments to abolish the proposed smokefree legislation do not hold up under scrutiny. Photo: RNZ Insight/Philippa Tolley
A population health expert says New Zealand's world-first smokefree legislation, which the government plans to repeal, could potentially save thousands of lives.
Labour's world-beating amendments to the country's smokefree legislation are set to be repealed.
The amendments would have taken cigarettes out of most dairies, lowered the nicotine levels in cigarettes, and denied sales to anyone born after 1 January 2009.
More than 40,000 people have signed a petition asking the government to scrap the repeal, and a nationwide protest will take place this Wednesday.
"The legislation that had been on the table was going to we believe deliver a rapid reduction in smoking prevalence across all New Zealand population groups" - Chris Bullen
Professor Chris Bullen from the University of Auckland told Morning Report that he hoped the government would listen to the calls of the people.
"The point is, the legislation that had been on the table, was going to, we believe, deliver a rapid reduction in smoking prevalence across all New Zealand population groups and thereby save about 8000 lives, and have a positive economic benefit as well.
"So I think the idea is, why not go harder, faster and get there sooner rather than drag things out."
Bullen said other nations had been inspired by New Zealand's smokefree legislation and that for New Zealand to step back from the policy has had a "chilling effect" on other countries.
"They had hoped that New Zealand will show the rest of the world what can be done, when there's alignment of good evidence, informed policy making and courageous government prepared to do something about this really dangerous product that we've normalised in our society, but that's not to be apparently," he said.
Meanwhile, the new government said it remained committed to reducing tobacco use, despite plans to repeal the smokefree legislation.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had earlier told RNZ that the smokefree legislation could increase the black market for cigarettes.
Bullen said there was no evidence to suggest the black market would be boosted by the legislation, and that the illicit market in New Zealand was relatively small.