We don’t think tax increases will have any further impact, it’s really hard to quit and we feel if we did that, we'd be punishing those people who are addicted to cigarettes even more.

Ayesha Verrall

Ayesha Jennifer Verrall (; born 1978/79) is a New Zealand politician, infectious-diseases physician, and researcher with expertise in tuberculosis and international health. She is a Labour Party Member of the New Zealand Parliament and a Cabinet Minister with the roles of Minister for Food Safety, Minister for Seniors, Associate Minister of Health and Associate Minister for Research, Science and Innovation. She has worked as a senior lecturer at the University of Otago, Wellington and as a member of the Capital and Coast District Health Board. During the COVID-19 pandemic she provided the Ministry of Health with an independent review and recommendations for its contact-tracing approach to COVID-19 cases.

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