Who benefits the most from cigarettes? According to academics and ministers it isn’t retailers, despite 6000 selling them and criminals robbing outlets for them. Surely then, it must be “big tobacco,” who academics, ministers and the WHO sees as a mutant cross between the boogieman, and the KGB.

STUFF OPINION: New Zealand has a begging and homelessness emergency and it’s worse than what I recently saw in a country most Kiwis associate with it – India.

While dairy owners are welcoming any new sanctions from the government, it remains underwhelmed that the culprits, the kids who raimraid and their parents who don’t care, remain blameless.

Official Police data shows the retail crime emergency smashed records in 2022 confirming the worst fears of retailers and retail workers that their safety is a low priority.

Official Information Act data confirms that vaping has resulted in no primary hospital admissions, despite tens of thousands vaping for at least a decade.

With Goldfields Mall in Thames ramraided a second time in as many months, dairy owners can reveal a shocking blowout in Crimes Act offences, which surged 44% higher in 2022 with 30,130 more Crimes Act offences for a total of 99,045 serious offences last year.

Dairy owners are hitting back at the Labour Government blaming dairies for youth vaping, when youth crime stats but massive dairy compliance as sellers, points elsewhere. The Group can also exclusively reveal no one has ever been hospitalised in NZ from vaping from its 2023 Vaping Report.

Tobacco taxes mean a kg of tobacco is now worth a third more than a kg of silver. Inflation hikes will take tobacco to over $1,600 a kilogram from January. Who pays this? The poorest. What the Minister of Child Poverty Reduction giveth, the Minister of Finance taketh more. When smoke is combined with taxes you get poverty, desperation and a crime emergency.

The government pick and mix approach to the Crime Emergency shows some promise by lifting one suggestion we put to the Minister of Police weeks ago. Delivery is a different kettle of fish.

The passing of the Smoked Tobacco Bill today is a missed opportunity that increases the danger faced by retailers.

Retail crime was up in 10 of the country’s 12 police districts but arrests in all were down. More crime, less arrests and fewer consequences with prisoners down 22% over 2017. Is this the New Zealand we want?

Predictable but preventable death sees an urgent call for the community safety to be put ahead of criminals. Please visit the give-a-little page for the victim’s family.

Dairy Business Owners Group seeks meeting with new Ministers

Dairy business owners support breaking supermarket duopoly

Dairies left behind once again