LESS SMOKING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 236, 6 October 1942, Page 4

LESS SMOKING

AMONG CIVILIANS

LOSS OF ARMY TRADE

Have Now Zealanders been smoking less since the heavy increase in the tobacco duty early last May? The question is difficult to answer with an.v degree of certainty, according to Mr. R. M. Carter, secretary of the Auckland Retail Tobacconists' Association, because men in the forces, who formerly purchased supplios from the .shops, now receive most of their smokes from canteens at a price concession.

However, it is stated that while the margin of profit is unchanged and cash turnover remains the same, the fall in civilian consumption ori the average is about 30 per cent. This is more particularly noticeable in country and suburban shops than in the city. Alter the hectic buying before the new prices became operative stability was reached about the end of June.

Asked what factors were in his opinion involved in the fall in consumption. Mr. Carter stated to-dav ihat the loss of trade from the troops was, of course, considerable, but it was evident that the increases of 2d a packet for cigarettes and lOd per *.oz tin of tobacco had proved a hurdle for the inveterate smoker, who was definitely smoking less! rherc appeared to be a strong prereronce for "roll your own" cigarette tobacco.

While Mr. Carter was unable to indicate any growth in smoking by women, one city tobacconist said that female purchasers had shown a considerable increase since the war. His view was that association with men in uniform and actual entry into the forces themselves encouraged women to develop the habit Mr. Carter said he desired to correct an impression that tobacconists possessed large stocks of matches which they were denying the public. The fact was that the limited quantities available were rationed out roughly on the basis of the number of matches required for a certain quantity of cigarettes or tobacco For example, a person buving one packet of cigarettes would use up fewer matches than one buvin" three packets. Most retailers' had the utmost difficulty in retaining slocks of matches for any length of time.