Article | A gift and a burden: the purchase and distribution of duty-free tobacco and its potential impact upon Pacific people in New Zealand.

Abstract

Background

High smoking rates among Pacific people living within New Zealand (26.9%) are a significant and poorly understood problem. A proposed approach to tobacco control is to enhance restrictions on or ban duty-free sales, a pertinent notion for Pacific people given their frequent travel between New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. This study examines the purchase and distribution of duty-free tobacco by Pacific people, whether it is being used as a strategy to circumvent the tobacco excise tax increases and how duty-free cigarette sales are perceived within the Pacific community.

Methods

We undertook a qualitative research study using six focus groups with Pacific smokers and non-smokers aged between 18 and 54 years. Half of the focus groups consisted of smokers and half non-smokers. We used a thematic analysis approach to identify, explore and report key themes within the data.

Results

Pacific smokers and non-smokers frequently purchase duty-free tobacco when travelling, and the usage of duty-free cigarettes for gift giving is a strongly embedded cultural value for Pacific peoples. However, nearly all participants strongly supported a proposal to reduce or ban duty-free tobacco sales.

Conclusions

The findings suggest a ban on duty-free sales could be an important measure to help achieve the smokefree 2025 goal among Pacific communities in New Zealand. This measure would eliminate duty-free tobacco as a cheap form of supply, and efforts to denormalise the practice of gifting duty-free tobacco among Pacific people may also be helpful in reducing high prevalence rates within these communities.

Citation

Tautolo E., Edwards, R., Gifford, H. (2014). A gift and a burden: the purchase and distribution of duty-free tobacco and its potential impact upon Pacific people in New Zealand. Tobacco Control.  doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2013-051345 (online-first 17th march 2014 ).

For more information, please contact:

Dr El-Shadan Tautolo,
AUT University
email: dan.tautolo@aut.ac.nz