The government today released its final response to recommendations made by the Maori affairs select committee's inquiry into the tobacco industry.

As well as a commitment to making New Zealand smoke-free by 2025 – with a mid-term goal to halve smoking prevalence by 2015, the government will look into law changes around the promotion, packaging and display of tobacco products.
It will also investigate regulating the use of additives and nicotine levels in tobacco products and will look at raising the fine for retailers who sell tobacco to children.
However it has not agreed to make the tobacco industry pay for smoking cessation programmes, nor require those selling tobacco to be 18 years or older.
The inquiry into the tobacco industry and the effects of tobacco use among Maori ran throughout 2010 and received 260 submissions.
Existing tobacco policy is based on a smokefree nation but with no specific deadline. (pi)