Cigarette price hike strikes again

Smoker Zoran Cacic is having to go cold turkey due to the cigarette price hike. Photo/Andrew Warner

The annual cigarette price hike has forced one Tauranga smoker to go cold turkey.

"I haven't got a choice now, the price is out of my budget," said Zoran Cacic , a smoker for 32 years.

He had not been able to buy a packet since the 10 per cent tax increase rolled into effect on January 1 2017.

In the 32 years since Mr Cacic started smoking he had tried to stop a few times, finding the gum and patches ineffective.

"I had cut myself down to 3 to 4 smokes a day, I was slowly weaning myself off from the 20 to 30 cigarettes a day I used to smoke."

He said it had been nice to have the option to stop on his own terms but since the latest price hike, he's had to go cold turkey.

"I'm a stubborn person, I refuse to try to find the extra money. I'm sure it's not going to be easy."

An amputee and on the sickness benefit, Mr Cacic's budget just would not allow the price increase for him to continue his weaning off process - "and it's not like my circumstances are going to change in a hurry."

Mr Cacic had been smoking since he was 14 - when society told him it was cool and not lethal.

"All the sportsmen, movie stars smoked. No one was saying it was going to give me cancer and I got hooked," he said.

The price hike has been good news for electronic cigarette retailers in Tauranga, who have seen an upswing in converts in the New Year.

Ben Kitson, owner of E-Juice Bar on Cameron Rd, said the tax hike and New Year's resolutions were pushing people to an alternative.

"It's been huge, there have been hundreds of people coming in."

E-Juice Bar had to move to a bigger premises and take on three new staff members to keep up with the demand in the previous three months.

Naked Vapour in Papamoa owner Lia Haskett said they had been busy over the holiday period.

"Price has had an effect on people, it's always a factor in helping people along to make the decision to change over."

A staff member at Park Mini Mart said she noticed on December 30 and 31 people bought two packets instead of one, thinking of the price increase ahead.

"Now, people are not very happy. But they know they have to stop sooner or later."

She said the price hike made her worried the mart would be robbed as people get desperate for cigarettes - "this is what gave rise to the heinous acts last year."

"The punishment should be more for robbery - it's not enough at the moment."

Quitline CEO Andrew Slater said the holiday period saw a big influx of calls.

"Quitting smoking is not an easy thing for everyone, most people don't succeed on their first attempt, but you need to keep trying."

The Government will be increasing the tax on cigarettes every year for four years, hoping to become smoke free by 2025.

Lively debate on social media
Daniel Nelson: Making profit off people's addiction. The moral compass is spinning circles.
Jay Mac Madnes: I love it how the govt's answer to a health issue that generally affects the lowest socio-economic groups is to make it more expensive thus making the poor people poorer. I would have thought fixing a health issue starts with addressing the root causes such as addiction and addictive behaviours rather than punishing the end result.
Rachel Rich: I quit 6 weeks ago couldn't afford cost of them now
Lisa Thomas: Do you understand that the Government are increasing the price for your own good? to try and stop you from smoking since it is BAD for you and causing so many health issues.