Tobacco company manager addmits no cigarette is safe
A tobacco company manager has admitted nicotine is addictive and said no cigarette is safe.British American Tobacco (BAT) faced a barrage of questions at the Maori Affairs select committee into smoking. BAT is the manufacturer of a well known brand Dunhill cigarettes. They defended their own marketing strategies, but said black market traders and dodgy retailers were spoiling the industry.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and it didn’t take long for the panel to fire up at the company which produces 70 percent of this country’s tobacco.But BAT’s Graeme Amey says the company does not support youth smoking.”It is not our position to market to youth,” he said. “It is not our position to supply to youth, and it is not our position that youth should smoke.”
Mr Amey urged a crackdown on the illicit trading of grow-your-own tobacco, because it isn’t regulated – a suggestion met with scepticism.”To focus on the illicit trade seems, to me anyhow, to smack of commercialisation, of trying to pick your competition,” says Labour MP Parekura Horomia.
BAT opposes shops hiding tobacco displays, because they say customers should be able to see the range in case they want to switch brands.Mr Amey has switched himself – he used to smoke, but has given up.”I smoked for 10 years and I made a personal choice to give up smoking.”When asked if he quit for health reasons, Mr Amey dodged the question.
“It’s just one of those things. I smoked for 10 years and I just wanted to give up.”BAT acknowledged that between 75 and 90 percent of smokers start before the age of 18. In fact, the average age New Zealanders say they began to smoke is just 14-and-a-half.