Cheap fag sellers in firing line

Two Richmond people and two from Motueka have significant interests in a Christchurch-based company that sells cheap, high-nicotine cigarettes, and which faces a grilling by a government select committee on smoking.

Maori MP Hone Harawira said he would be asking the NZ Tobacco Group to appear before a Maori Affairs select committee hearing on the tobacco industry when it came to Christchurch in about six weeks.

The group, based in offices in Papanui, distributes two cigarette brands, Ashford and Easy, said to be big sellers in low socio-economic areas.

Packets of 20 Easy cigarettes are being sold in Christchurch stores for as little as $7.70, and Ashfords for about $9. The average cost of a packet of Dunhill or Benson & Hedges is about $12.

Figures show that the nicotine content of Ashford Full Flavour is 1.25 milligrams compared with 0.9mg for Benson & Hedges Classic and 0.8mg for Dunhill Premier.

Tobacco-related illnesses kill about 5000 Kiwis a year, including 600 Maori.

NZ Tobacco company records show it imported about 2.5 million Easy Full Flavour cigarettes and 3.2 million Ashford Full Flavour cigarettes in 2007.

The Easy packaging says the cigarettes are made in Luxembourg, under the authority of Easy Singapore for Richland Express, a discount cigarette company in Sydney.

NZ Tobacco Group is directed by Mark Philip Brown, of Richmond, and two Singaporeans.

The company has 2.8 million shares, one million of which are owned by NZ Tobacco Holdings Ltd, the shares in which are owned by two New Zealand companies, Masuko Investments and Casbah Ltd.

Shares in Masuko are owned by Susette Brown, who lives at the same address as Mark Brown.

Shares in Casba are owned by Rachid Benzaoui and Cheri Tiffen, of Motueka.

Mr Harawira said the company had not been "on his radar" before he was contacted by The Press. However, he would be asking its directors to front up before the select committee.

"I'm bloody horrified, but not surprised at their tactics," he said.

"There's now overwhelming support from New Zealanders to get rid of tobacco in this country, and companies are doing their best to hook as many people as possible now, so they're lowering prices and upping nicotine and marketing into places like Aranui and Otara."

Lower prices were likely to attract younger smokers, while higher than normal nicotine meant they got addicted faster than usual, Mr Harawira said.

"What they are doing is maximising their profit before their demise, and they don't care that they're killing New Zealanders to achieve it."

Mr Harawira said the select committee had decided to come to Christchurch because it had received many submissions from the South Island.

Mr Brown, a Nelson accountant, said last night he faced criticism whatever he said.

"I don't want to inflame the situation or antagonise anybody.

"People are entitled to their opinion, and it's down to people's personal choice whether they buy the product or not.

"The product is not illegal. All I ask for is a level playing field in an industry which is dominated by a few big players."

He said he had yet to make any money out of the company.

- Fairfax

- © Fairfax NZ News