Smoking

New Zealand needs to "close the noose'' on a duplicitous and resourceful tobacco industry pedalling an addictive and lethal product, says the man who blew the whistle on the industry nearly 20 years ago.

Jeffrey Wigand, the real-life tobacco company whistle-blower from the movie The Insider, is shocked to learn of the high levels of nicotine and tar to which New Zealand smokers are exposed.

New Zealand smokers are exposed to much more nicotine from cigarettes than are Australians, possibly because of a preference for high-nicotine brands on this side of the Tasman.

A Dunedin taxi firm is taking a hard line with drivers who smoke, using carrot-and-stick measures to help them quit.

Smoking could increase the risk of depression, according to Otago University research published today in the prestigious British Journal of Psychiatry.

Dunedin anti-smoking groups are set to recommend the Dunedin City Council adopt a smokefree policy for public spaces throughout the city.

The tax increase on tobacco last week prompted a record number of smokers to reach for the phone rather than their cigarettes.

The legislation passed through Parliament under extraordinary urgency on Wednesday night increasing the excise tax on tobacco was in the name of the Maori Party's co-leader, Tariana Turia. But it will not be Mrs Turia or her party that endures any voter backlash.

Dunedin smokers surprised by a sudden 10% tax hike on cigarettes announced last night were quick to buy supplies before prices went up at midnight.

Despite the now well-known and far-reaching effects of smoking, more than 20% of Americans still smoke. Why? For many, it may be hard to quit because they also have depression.