Rethinking the regulatory framework for tobacco control in New Zealand

Tobacco is a particularly unusual consumer product in that it is highly addictive, kills over half its long-term users, and is a major cause of premature death and health inequalities in New Zealand. We therefore examined the place of regulatory frameworks in advancing tobacco control, and suggest the formation of a Government Tobacco Authority. Such an authority could enable the Government to specify the design of tobacco products (to maximise harm reduction), to eliminate the marketing for profit of branded products, and to appropriately control the introduction of alternative nicotine delivery devices or less hazardous alternative tobacco products. As the authority could be funded through levies on the tobacco industry, it has the potential advantage of delivering major population health gains while costing the taxpayer nothing.