The plan to explode the black market

The Herald reports:

The ministry last month released a proposal for public consultation on how it plans to reduce tobacco retailers from 6000 to 600 by July next year and has released maps indicating how many retailers should be operating in different regions across the country.

The proposal relates to the world-first reform to the sale of tobacco in New Zealand introduced by now Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall, which included the significant reduction of retailers and the inability for anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, to buy smoked tobacco products.

Despite having roughly a third of the national population, the Auckland region would have only 33 tobacco retailers – the fourth-lowest out of the 12 regions identified.

This is so crazy. They are going to have 33 outlets for 150,000 smokers in Auckland. The black market will not just explode but it will explode exponentially.