Cutting through the haze

Sunny Kaushal’s suggestion that tightening tobacco availability would put dairies out of business (‘‘Cutting through the haze’’, Waikato Times, May 1) is ludicrous. No doubt it would have some impact, but other products on their shelves would still be in demand, and the upside would be that it would lead to a cut back in robberies. To suggest that a major health initiative should be compromised for vendor profitability is obscene. Would we allow them to sell weapons, or hard pornography instead? In the unlikely event that their dairies became unprofitable, they might like to seek advice from a business consultant. In the meantime, he should reflect on the fact that cigarette sales will eventually peter out; but left to chance this would not be fast enough for the wellbeing of the nation.

Hugh Webb, Hamilton