Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Kelly Makiha: Ciggies now a costly luxury

Kelly Makiha
By Kelly Makiha
Multimedia Journalist·Bay of Plenty Times·
4 Jan, 2016 04:20 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Photo/file

Photo/file

There's nothing worse than a reformed smoker banging on about the dangers of cigarettes.

So I'm not going to.

In fact, part of me feels for those who are now having to fork out more for their ciggies as a result of the Government's latest tax hike on tobacco.

Kelly Makiha.
Kelly Makiha.

While I'm loving not being a smoker anymore, there are plenty of rules in place now which mean smokers don't have to bother me.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

I don't have to sit next to someone smoking at a restaurant or even put up with second-hand smoke at most parks and reserves.

The only law missing now is one that bans smoking in cars with children inside.

Talk to a smoker and most of them want to quit. They don't want to be stinky, poor or risk death. But still, the lure of dragging on a cigarette after a meal or while enjoying a drop of your favourite tipple is too great.

I gave up more than 10 years ago and, for me, it was purely a financial decision.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Three years prior my 53-year-old father, who smoked like a train, died suddenly from a stroke. My mum hinted the only good thing that could come out of it was making me realise smoking could kill me.

It didn't. I smoked more.

At the time my packet of Pall Mall menthols cost $10. Admittedly, I had become a heavy smoker, regularly burning through eight packets a week. That was $80.

Nowadays, thanks to last Friday's latest price rises, the same packet of 20s cost $22.10. If I hadn't quit, I'd be paying $176.80 weekly. Yikes.

Discover more

Kelly Makiha: Tackle doom and gloom

29 Dec 03:40 PM

My decision to stop came after an overseas trip. I'd enjoyed smoking the cheap duty-free cigarettes and forced my husband and friends to bring back duty-free cartons with us back into New Zealand. I was set for a few months.

But, as the last packet in the last carton came around, I knew finding $80 a week again was going to be hard work. It was then time to give up.

I went cold turkey and I'm so glad I've managed to stay smokefree.

If you're a smoker and are wanting to quit, good luck. You won't regret it.

But if you're content to spend your money on something that makes you happy, go for it.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

live
Bay of Plenty Times

Up to 50 people evacuated from homes after wild weather, clean-up begins

11 Jul 08:08 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Powerful example': Mum overcomes addiction to build a life helping others

11 Jul 06:00 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

Bay home crowd rallies behind netball's Magic

11 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Up to 50 people evacuated from homes after wild weather, clean-up begins
live

Up to 50 people evacuated from homes after wild weather, clean-up begins

11 Jul 08:08 PM

The North Island is expected to get off to a wet start this morning, with lingering rain.

'Powerful example': Mum overcomes addiction to build a life helping others

'Powerful example': Mum overcomes addiction to build a life helping others

11 Jul 06:00 PM
Bay home crowd rallies behind netball's Magic

Bay home crowd rallies behind netball's Magic

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Tearful hunter admits shooting and killing friend

Tearful hunter admits shooting and killing friend

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP