Why's the govt favouring big tobacco over health evidence?

This is a transcript from Will’s Word on Friday, 19th of July.

I don't want to be crude but I want to ask what on earth is Minister Casey Costello smoking? Because her recent decision to cut excise taxes on heated tobacco products by 50 per cent is deeply concerning.

These products aren’t that much safer to cigarettes and still pose serious health risks due to harmful chemicals they contain.

This move seems to favour corporate interests over public health at a time when we should be strengthening efforts to reduce tobacco use. It contradicts New Zealand's goal to become smoke-free by 2025 and could lead to more people becoming addicted to nicotine.

Excise taxes on tobacco products are important—they discourage consumption, fund health programs, and help offset the costs of tobacco-related illnesses. Cutting these taxes undermines these goals and prioritises profits over people's health.

Minister Costello should reconsider this decision and prioritise evidence-based policies that protect public health, not the interests of the tobacco industry.

…. That’s Will’s Word…