Mike Yardley: How can so many New Zealanders still smoke?
The proposed Smokefree 2025 Action Plan includes significantly reducing the number of retailers able to sell tobacco, limiting the nicotine content of cigarettes, and raising the age of purchase every year, so that anyone born after 2004 could never lawfully be sold tobacco.
Columnist Mike Yardley says most lower-income earners who smoke shell out more money in tobacco excise than they do in income tax.
"They should be vigorously urged to switch to vaping as a smoking cessation alternative, given it’s not just far less hazardous to their health, but also to their back pocket," he says.
What do you think of the proposed Smokefree 2025 reforms? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
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Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
🐾 It’s here! Our SPCA Merch has officially launched online 🐾
We’re excited to share our brand-new range of exclusive SPCA Merch, featuring tees, tote bags, socks, bandanas, and more 🛍️
Shop the range online now 🔗 www.spcaopshops.nz...
Every purchase helps raise vital funds to protect over 55,000 animals in need across NZ every year 💙
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