Tobacco Products Are Now Forbidden From Being Displayed In Shops In New Zealand

[darryl]

This is how bad things have got in my country.
A new law came into effect yesterday forbidding tobacco products from being displayed in shops. All cigarettes, cigars and tobacco must now be locked in cabinets.
I went into the best shop in town for pipes and accessories during my visit to the city today, and I tried to enquire about prices for some of the blends I was considering trying. I was told that my questions could not be answered. All I could do was ask for a product, and I would be sold it. Shops are allowed to have a pricelist they can show customers, but they can't give any advice, and this shop did not yet have a list ready yet. (The owner was away. She knows me, so we would have probably found a solution within the law if she had been there, even if it had meant her writing a makeshift pricelist. But I digress.) The person looking after the shop told me she risked a $10,000 fine if she breached these draconian restrictions.
The only other reasonably stocked tobacconist in the inner city had prepared pricelists for cigarettes and cigars, but had not yet prepared one for pipe tobacco.
I left in total confusion without buying anything. I was on my way to a job interview and I didn't want to stress myself.
I have not had a smoke for about a month and I was really looking forward to having one tomorrow. It looks like it might have to be a tin of Erinmore Mixture from a local convenience store after all.
This is what the war on smokers has become.
As I remarked to the second tobacconist, buying tobacco has become like buying pornography.
Next on the agenda for us is plain packaging. Presumably, a description of the contents of a blend will not be allowed.
You have all been warned.

 

[lordnoble]

Thanks for the heads up. While my vacations plans don't include New Zealand in the near future, it looks like it will continue to NOT include New Zealand until those laws go away, which may be never.
-Jason

 

[nsfisher]

Same Law has been in effect here in Nova Scotia now for years. Within a few more years, I believe it is going to be generic for World Wide

 

[auspipe]

Similar situation in Australia mate, but does not worry me that much because "tobacconist" means cigarette and drug paraphernalia retailers with only a few exceptions. I buy my tobacco online from 4noggins, only 200gram at a time which is fine because it takes me a long time to get through. Not even being able to give advice or prices of different blends though,that is something else. It is a sad situation.

 

[wnghanglow]

I wish I could say this surprises me but it doesn't. I fear I may have to start a convoy and smuggle my baccy from Mexico in my life time :/

 

[darryl]

I plan to grow my own, but they will probably try to ban that next.

 

[darryl]

ERRATUM: I have checked the implementation guidelines, and a retailer may still use spoken words to convey prices. The shop assistant was erring on the side of caution - and who can blame her?
But, "Any other information about tobacco products, unless explicitly allowed by the Act or regulations, could be deemed to be a breach of the tobacco product advertisement provisions".

 

[mailboylou]

And thus the spiral twirls forever downwards.
Seems to me the formula governments use is:
Making tobacco increasingly scary and dangerous = Increased justification to keep raising taxes for smokers.
With the way global economies are, and with the level of govt debt through the roof just about everywhere, I guess those tobacco taxes get increasingly appealing, and the more creative they get with methods for tobacco demonization/smoker marginalization.

 

[admin]

I'm completely awestruck.
However, we will be happy to provide as much information as we can here on this website, and the tobacco manufacturers should do the same.
It's too bad for the poor B&M stores. This just drives more sales to the Internet.

 

[topd]

As far as the U.S. goes, I'd imagine the state of California will be first, then New York. It'll

slowly spread across the entire country before the next 10 - 15 years. (Keep building your cellars

friends!)

 

[sjpipesmoker]

What about online? does NZ have duty fees that you pay??? and I thought California was bad...sorry to hear about it...

 

[darryl]

I expect there will be duty, and I am investigating ... several people have recommended 4noggins for mail order, and 4noggins Weybridge is a blend I especially want to try.

 

[nsfisher]

B&M's and Generic Smoke shops here are allowed to have their products in full display. The law applies only to Convience Stores etc.

 

[darryl]

I have just checked out the rules for importing tobacco.
Yes, I can do it. But I would have to pay excise duty of NZ$629.99 per kg of tobacco. That would be NZ$31.50 for a 50 gram tin.
Plus 15% Goods and Services tax on top of that.

 

[topd]

"That is Outrageous!"

 

[tslex]

Amazing. Tragic.
And headed to a country near you.

 

[auspipe]

Import mate. Keep the orders small and they will get through untouched most of the time. It is worth it for the variety available and works out the same or cheaper than buying the poor selections available locally.

 

[darryl]

I would be wary of taking a chance on trying to sneak it in undeclared, as NZ is even stricter on biosecurity than it is on smoking.
Importing undeclared plant material into the country can get you (from memory so don't quote me) up to a $200,000 fine and/or six months in prison.
Thanks heaps for trying to help me out though.
I think my best option may be to find someone who is going overseas, a nonsmoker (as he or she will not want any tobacco for him or her self), and write out a list of blends to choose from. You can bring in up to 250 grams without paying duty on it.

 

[kiwiazz74]

im importing whole leaf from wholeleaftobacco.com with heat treating is about $110nz per pound, no tax on unmanufactured leaf here, but if your total cost is $400nz or over you will be charged 15% gst.
takes me half an hour to process a full pound stripping the stem and shredding in a blender.
tax on shop tobacco went up again its now $130 odd a 50gram tin, they can kiss my arse if ill ever pay that. and on a dissability bennifit i cant afford it anyway. i grow tobacco too you can buy seeds off trademe.co.nz mostly virginia gold but one or two guys sells different varities.
each person over 18 per house can hold up to 15kg of smokable tobacco grown for personal use, its illegal to sell it or give it away.
i hope this info helps a poor nz smoker
sweet smokes to all

 

[cosmicfolklore]

But when you can only import 8oz at a time it's

going to be a long hard drag.

But, my understanding is that you can order more than that... you just have to pay taxes/customs for it.