Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on the likelihood on New Zealand reaching smokefree targets

The Smokefree 2025 goal was created in 2010 with the hope that fewer than 5 percent of Kiwis will smoke by 2025, but that's looking unlikely.

The annual New Zealand Health survey's confirmed rates are stagnating just below 7 percent - and vaping rates growing. 

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explains further.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barry soapas in your political correspondence with us.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
Good afternoon, Heather. What happened to that man? Lift the
with voice that you once had and trying to emilate me?

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Yeah, I think you bloody know what happened to it?

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Too much singing?

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Okay, now, Donald Trump, what's going on here?

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Well, you know, we had the news earlier this week
that Trump had reversed the tariffs on beef and awful
and kiwi fruit, which is significant going into the United States,
and I hadn't heard Nikola Willis talk about it, but
Trump said he removed the parrot at the tariffs because,

(00:37):
of course grocery prices in the US were rising and
there was political pressure building on him from within. So
clearly the tariffs that were on these products, he decided,
if they're disadvantaging him, then he'll do away with him.
And that was good news for New Zealand. The change
of heart by Trump has put an additional three hundred

(00:58):
and thirty million dollars a year into the pockets of
exporters and it's a bit of good news that I've
got to say. That put a smile on the Finance
Minister's face today.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
These products represent around twenty five percent of our exports
to the United States, with approximately two point two one
billion dollars a year. The removal of these tariffs restores
pre Liberation Day access for exporters and provides some relief
for farmers, processes, and rural communities and the jobs that
they support. This is a positive step in the right

(01:28):
direction for free and competitive trade.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Let's hope it is applied to others before too long.
Epstein papers that'll be interesting. I wonder how a bridged
they are when they finally come out.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
You just can't let it go out. You can't get
through it without.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
Discerning the wonderful president trade.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
You just can't help yourself. Okay, Now, I mean, look,
it's clear that we're not going what are we at
six point eight percent of New Zealand's smoke We're supposed
to get to five percent, under five percent by the
end of the year. We're not going to, are we?

Speaker 2 (01:58):
You all, five percent isnt smoke free, which I always
found incredible anyway that you know, you still had a
percentage of the population smoking. But nevertheless, I think it
is unlikely, clearly by the end of next month, that
we're going to be at five percent. The daily smoking rates, though,
have been falling, and if you look at the breakdown,

(02:19):
the numbers are really interesting. Women are not smoking as
much as men. Comes as a great surprise because clearly
it chose that women have got a bit more sense
for what their male counterparts have. But Sociate Health Minister
at Casey Castello Hoo was on her feet in Parliament
today delivering the good news on smoking until she met

(02:42):
the pot calling the kettle black confused. Well, have a listener,
you'll see what I mean.

Speaker 4 (02:47):
The smoking rate for fifteen to twenty four year olds
is three point two percent, down from nineteen point one
percent when the survey started. The speaker. At the broadest level,
smoking rates for those age between forty five and sixty
four remain persistently high. It takes time to shift the
behavior of people have been life long smokers.

Speaker 5 (03:07):
The right Honorable Winston Peters. Has she seen that due
to the success of this program there is less tax
coming into the treasury of two hundred million And is
that going to the tobacco companies or is the explanation
behind that that someone who says that is an economic moron?
She said it, you're a more Mon turtle More. Hello,

(03:28):
that's enough to a very brief answer.

Speaker 4 (03:31):
Mister speaker. Yes, we can confirm that there is no
tax breaks for those who understand the economy.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
Mon Barrrie has a text views from Mike. When is
barrye Soapers book about prime ministers being written?

Speaker 3 (03:44):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (03:45):
Isn't that wonderful? Yes, well it's coming up next year.
I've done the disdain passage. I wouldn't be interviewed for
David Cohen's book because it would take the gloss away
from my book. Honestly, what in us anyway?

Speaker 1 (04:01):
You're just unbelievable. So the book is is because you
think people have only got enough money to buy one
or he got out first.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Well, I decided i'd to cover all the prime ministers.

Speaker 1 (04:09):
So there were written, is written, and it's going to
it's out next year.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
It's out next year.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
And you were lovely about Jessinda, weren't you.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Well, of course it was just like I am about
Donald thought. So yeah, there is why people have a
different view of me.

Speaker 1 (04:22):
Good stuff, Thank you very so for senior political correspondent.

Speaker 5 (04:25):
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