Young people’s opinion on tobacco taxation

One of the most effective tools to stop people taking up smoking and encourage smokers to quit is to increase the price of cigarettes and tobacco. The New Zealand Government has annually raised the excise tax on tobacco since 2010, and has committed to continue this annual increase until at least 2016. A key source of New Zealand data on youth smoking is the Health Promotion Agency’s (HPA’s) Youth Insights Survey (YIS). The YIS monitors Year 10 students’ behaviours, attitudes and knowledge on a range of tobacco-related topics, including about their opinions on the taxation of tobacco.