Nothing kills and destroys like tobacco. It is the gateway drug bar none, assuming there is such a thing as gateway drug.
I always reckoned that a just War on Drugs would start by putting tobacco smoking parents in jail for as long as it takes to cure them of the addiction.
But if ever higher excise taxes are creating black market opportunities, that is not good.
Perhaps the NZ government should educate the public that tobacco smoking signals low socio-economic status? Certainly here in North America, folks of high socio-economic status have either stayed from or quit tobacco in droves. It is folks of low socio-economic who continue to smoke and take up tobacco.
As many people simply do not care about health outcomes, perhaps prodding them about socio-economic status will work instead.
Nothing kills and destroys like tobacco. It is the gateway drug bar none, assuming there is such a thing as a gateway drug.
I always reckoned that a just War on Drugs would start by putting tobacco smoking parents in jail for as long as it takes to cure them of the addiction.
But if ever higher excise taxes are creating black market opportunities, that is not good.
Perhaps the NZ government should educate the public that tobacco smoking signals low socio-economic status? Certainly here in North America, folks of high socio-economic status have either stayed away from or quit tobacco in droves. It is folks of low socio-economic who continue to smoke and take up tobacco.
As many people simply do not care about health outcomes, perhaps prodding them about socio-economic status will work instead.
There is up to NZ$182 million that the New Zealand Government could recoup from illicit tobacco. Research conducted by KPMG’s UK firm highlighted in their Illicit Tobacco in New Zealand 2017 Full Year Report has revealed that illegal tobacco – as a percentage of total tobacco consumption was around 9% in 2017. KPMG in the UK estimates that if this illicit tobacco had been sold legally, it would have generated about NZ$182 million in tobacco excise for the Government.
Imperial Tobacco New Zealand’s General Manager, Sam Abbott said that closer monitoring and enforcement both at the border and in retail is required to stop illegal products entering the market.
“We believe the aggressive 8 years of consecutive tobacco excise increases have contributed to this alarming figure. The attractiveness of the illicit market will continue to grow over the next two years, as further legislated annual 10% increases on tobacco excise drive the legitimate market retail prices higher,” said Mr Abbott.
That sounds about right - without any public discussion, you suddenly find our SAS dying on special ops in Afghanistan, etc. Though why the Four Eyes bother with NZ as a fifth eye beats me. We don't have the resources and even geographical location hardly cuts it, as Australia covers that too.
The rationale from NZ's perspective makes much more sense. We are closely tied to Australia, are worried about growing Chinese hegemony in the Pacific region, generally share the same values, etc. Yet we get to pretend that we are some kind of strong independent voice for small nations on the world stage. Pretty fine line the NZ govt. is walking there.
Yeah, you make almost as good cannon-fodder as the Aussies and Canucks, but there are hardly enough of you to bother. Australia should be walking a fine line between the US and our major trading partner, China, but the current government went all-in for Trump and we are suffering for it.
That sounds about right - without any public discussion, you suddenly find our SAS dying on special ops in Afghanistan, etc. Though why the Four Eyes bother with NZ as a fifth eye beats me. We don't have the resources and even geographical location hardly cuts it, as Australia covers that too.
The rationale from NZ's perspective makes much more sense. We are closely tied to Australia, are worried about growing Chinese hegemony in the Pacific region, generally share the same values, etc. Yet we get to pretend that we are some kind of strong independent voice for small nations on the world stage. Pretty fine line the NZ govt. is walking there.
Armed and neutral Sweden and Finland walk that line all the time.
China poses zero threat to New Zealand but that is another discussion.
On a serious note: As long as New Zealand and US intelligence are cooperating closely, there is no risk of a cold war or invasion. In other words, there is what is reported in the newspapers for public consumption and there is what is going on in the background that really matters.
That sounds about right - without any public discussion, you suddenly find our SAS dying on special ops in Afghanistan, etc. Though why the Four Eyes bother with NZ as a fifth eye beats me. We don't have the resources and even geographical location hardly cuts it, as Australia covers that too.
The rationale from NZ's perspective makes much more sense. We are closely tied to Australia, are worried about growing Chinese hegemony in the Pacific region, generally share the same values, etc. Yet we get to pretend that we are some kind of strong independent voice for small nations on the world stage. Pretty fine line the NZ govt. is walking there.
Won't happen. New Zealand has many doomsday properties for the uber-rich and the Americans wouldn't do anything to jeopardize their safe-haven.
Yeah..... New Zealand seems to enjoy a soft spot in the hearts of Americans of higher socio-economic status. (The rest might have trouble finding the country on the map.)
On a serious note: As long as New Zealand and US intelligence are cooperating closely, there is no risk of a cold war or invasion. In other words, there is what is reported in the newspapers for public consumption and there is what is going on in the background that really matters.
poor Coco
