Media release: Associate Health Minister’s tobacco policy contradicts official advice, aligns with industry lobbyists

Associate Health Minister Casey Costello’s recent tobacco policy recommendations conflict with official advice, aligning instead with tobacco lobbyists' talking points, according to an analysis of recently released documents.

Prof Janet Hoek and co-authors from the ASPIRE 2025 research group at the University of Otago, Wellington, have examined the Ministry of Health’s advice on repealing smokefree legislation and allowing the sale of oral nicotine products, including tobacco and nicotine pouches.

The details are laid out in a new Briefing article published by the Public Health Communication Centre. 

Drawing on briefings, cabinet papers, and policy submissions, the authors show that Associate Health Minister Costello’s actions did not follow the Ministry of Health's evidence-informed advice.

Further comparisons show that statements from Associate Health Minister Costello align closely with those made by tobacco companies, and organisations that list tobacco companies as members, in policy submissions and opinion pieces.

“The New Zealand public deserves an explanation from the Minister as to why she chose to disregard the well-informed advice from the Ministry of Health, opting instead for decisions that reflect arguments put by tobacco companies,” says Prof Hoek. 

“The coalition agreement between New Zealand First and the National Party outlines decision-making principles, which include a commitment that ‘decisions will be based on data and evidence’. The decision to repeal the measures designed to reduce smoking rates equitably and rapidly was clearly not evidence based. We now have evidence that the Associate Health Minister was not following clear advice from her Ministry.”

“The Government needs to explain why Associate Health Minister Costello has deviated from the coalition agreement and why she is following tobacco industry arguments in preference to her Ministry. The fact that she has just delivered a 50 percent cut in the excise tax on heated tobacco products is a further example of this.”