I can buy tobacco down the road at the local shops for $275 a kilo, I'm told.
- That's $13.75 for a 50g pouch the government would charge $120+ for.

The government got so greedy stealing from people they priced themselves out of the game.
How they hell do they even know what smoking rates are, when everyone's buying the cheap stuff.
I know of people buying cheap imported packets over the counter for $7 each, not the $40 the government is charging.

" the NZ Government raised tobacco excise taxes rapidly, and in excess of inflation by 10% each year, between 2010 and 2020, making the real price of cigarettes in New Zealand, among the highest globally.""

We were talking about how the NZ government managed to reduce smoking rates by half after they changed their policies as regards vaping AFTER 2020. So of course, logic-challenged Paul tells us all about what they did BEFORE 2020.

I gave him the report which showed that smoking rates in Australia and NZ were roughly the same in 2020 and that the NZ rates are now half those of Australia following their promotion of vaping. But the report used big words and sophisticate maths and therefore clearly went over Paul's head.

There are numerous reports showing vaping is safe - Paul ignores it or perhaps doesn't understand it.

There are reports that policies in NZ favouring vaping are saving lives - Paul ignores it or perhaps doesn't understand it.

Countries all around the world allow their citizens to decide whether to use vapes or not - Paul ignores it or perhaps doesn't understand it.

Paul's gurus tell him there are vape monsters hiding under the bed - Paul wets his pants.

T'was always thus.

'nuf said. I've made my point. The thread started off with the usual suspects accepting every lie their gurus told them, and they now realise that the evidence proves these were lies.

Fin.

Only 5 posters interested in this.

The Forums very own Marlboro Man, aka Mr Mhaze Trumpster, presents "reports" financed by BIG TOBACCO done by "scientists" telling all the gullible that "vaping is good for you". A bit of deja vu there don't you think, just as BIG TOBACCO financed "scientists" in the 1950's and 60's telling all the gullible that "smoking is good for you".

As for tobacco tax in NZ, for 11 years the NZ government increased the tax on tobacco by inflation plus 10%, last year it was increased by the inflation rate of 5.64%, according to the Marlboro Man that's no tax at all. NZ has the highest tobacco tax in the English speaking world, and one of the highest in the whole world, Australia is not far behind. There was NO CAMPAIGN by the NZ Government to promote vaping as being good for you, or as an alternative to smoking.

ttbn, glad you are keeping count, did you ever land the job you said should be yours, FORUM MODERATOR.

Hi AC,

As I pointed out on another thread, the authorities only seize about 20% of the illegal tobacco smuggled into Australia, the other 80% is sold under the counter in drug shops (tobacconist), well, until the import criminals fire bomb their shop for non payment of "tax".

This ridiculous claim from the Marlboro Man;

"NZ halved their smoking rates when they started promoting vaping" NZ halved their smoking rates when they increased the tax exponentially on tobacco. As a consequence the claimed "safer" vaping and being cheaper was taken up by the nicotine addicted. The fact is those smokers from the lowest socioeconomic groups with the lowest incomes, they being the largest group of smokers in society, found the cost of tobacco products prohibitive and turned to the cheaper vaping alternative to get their daily fix. There has never been a 'Vaping is safe for you campaign by the NZ government'. The furphy that vaping was safe, was simply a lie promoted by BIG TOBACCO, the same grubs who have been purposely targeting children as customers. The problem for BIG TOBACCO is that their customers, like our forum friend the Marlboro Man, are literally a dying breed, so they have to target children to keep the cash flowing their way.

mhaze a question; If the government was to remove all tax from cigars, could we expect an increase in cigar consumption, and a corresponding decrease in the highly taxed cigarette consumption. AND would such a move prove that cigars are safer than fags? I'm sure you will say yes.

"Smoking and vaping policy were very similar in Australia and New Zealand until 2020 when the four major political parties in New Zealand accepted vaping as an important tool to accelerate the decline in smoking rates."

http://www.ash.org.nz/new_zealand_expert_advises_australian_policymakers_on_vaping_as_new_zealand_smoking_rates_fall_40_in_4_years_as_people_switch_to_vaping

Paul won't understand this because.... well its Paul!. But Ash aren't some pro-tobacco group. Their entire mission is to stop smoking..."Our mission is very simple. It is to a eliminate the death and harm caused by tobacco." they write favour of vaping.

Paul continues to pretend to not notice that almost the whole world accepts vaping. Its only the authoritarians in Canberra who fight it. But lets pretend that the whole world is wrong and Canberra knows what's good for us all.

Look Paul, I get it. You don't want to think you're being lied to and have no intention of checking the facts. That's OK, we're used to that from you and Foxy.