08.12.2005

Smokefree workplaces report is comical

The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand Smokefree Workplaces December 2005 report released today delivers some quite remarkable findings relating to the impact the smoking ban in bars has had upon the hotel industry.

"Reading this report takes me back many years, to the days when I read comics", says WIN Party leader John van Buren.

"Comics made for very entertaining reading but at the end of the day you know that what you are reading is pure fantasy, created by people with furtively imaginative minds".

"This report paints a totally different picture to what is actually happening within the hotel industry, and the disclaimer, ' All reasonable measures have been taken to ensure that the information presented in this report is accurate. However, the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand does not accept responsibility or liability for any error, flaw or omission in this report', is about the only thing in the report's contents I find credible".

"The report claims contrary to concerns expressed by opponents to the legislation, smokefree hospitality venues have not resulted in an overall loss of profits in bars, clubs, cafes or restaurants".

"This does not correlate with feedback the WIN Party has from the hotel industry, especially from hotels in rural and outer suburban areas".

"WIN is in the midst of conducting a survey of hotels, taverns and bars, for the period 10 December 2004 to 9 December 2005, the results of which we will release before Christmas, in their entirety".

"We will release those results without juggling of figures to achieve the result we want, and without a disclaimer relating to accuracy, as the information we will release into the public domain will be accurate".

"This report also delivers some rather strange results relating to tobacco consumption rates, based upon an AC Neilson survey of supermarket retail sales only, and does not provide figures from all other retail points of sale, including service stations and dairies".

"Given the government revenue grab from tobacco has risen 5.6% compared to last year, and cigarettes available for sale between January and September this year rose 7.5% from the same period last year, sales must have increased".

"Couple these figures with the indeterminable volume of black market cigarettes and roll your own tobacco being sold in New Zealand, and without any doubt whatsoever, tobacco consumption is on the rise".

ENDS

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