Maori Party should come clean

Hone Harawira has a column in the DomPost today about his aim to boot tobacco companies out of NZ (no link sorry). There are any number of points that could be argued eg he says smoking is not a choice, it is a disease, but I have chosen to argue the futility of prohibition.

Dear Editor

Maori Party MP, Hone Harawira's aim (DomPost, May 30) to boot tobacco companies out of New Zealand leaves questions about what comes after.

Many people already smoke tailor-made cigarettes sparingly and generally roll their own. If they can't buy their tobacco from the supermarket or dairy what does Hone think they will do? Give up?

We have been strikingly unsuccessful in stopping the cultivation and importation of cannabis. Only recently the DomPost ran a front page story about a Porirua tinnie house turning over huge money. Porirua's top detective was quoted as saying in some New Zealand suburbs it is easier to buy cannabis than tobacco.

If the Maori Party wants to drive tobacco underground then they should make that absolutely clear. We can then consider whether the downsides of banning legal production will be worse than the problem Harawira seeks to remedy.