Hon Casey Costello
Minister of Customs
Minister for Seniors
Associate Minister of Health
Associate Minister of Immigration
Associate Minister of Police
7 May 2025
Stephanie Mudgeway
By email:
fyi-req uest-30593-7bf7 caca@reg uests. fyi. org. nz
Ref:
CCHOIA-407
Dear Stephanie
Response to your request for official information
I acknowledge your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) on 1 April 2025
for:
"I request copies of all correspondence, including but not limited to emails, fetters,
text messages, meeting notes, briefing papers, reports, and internal memoranda,
relating to or mentioning Swedish Match or Zyn (or any related terms such as
"nicotine pouches," "oral nicotine," or "smokeless tobacco'').
To ensure completeness, I request that this search includes:
Official government email accounts, personal accounts (where used for official
business), and any instant messaging applications used for government
correspondence.
Meeting minutes or records of discussions where Swedish Match, Zyn, or nicotine
pouches were mentioned.
Any briefings, reports, or policy discussions in which these products or companies
were considered.
This request covers all relevant communications:
1. Between yourself (or your office) and representatives of Swedish Match, Zyn, or any
affiliated entities.
Neither my office nor I have had any communication with representatives of Swedish Match,
Zyn, or any affiliated entities. As such, this part of your request is refused under section
18(g)(i) of the Act as the information requested is not held by myself or my office, and there
are no grounds for believing it is held by another agency subject to the Act.
2.
Between your office and other government departments, agencies, or officials
discussing Swedish Match, Zyn, or nicotine pouches.
Information pertaining to this part of your request has been proactively released on the
Ministry of Health website at: www.health.qovt.nz/information-releases/cabinet-and-briefing
material-smokefree-2025-proqressing-coalition-agreement-commitments-and.
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand I +64 4 817 6827 I [Casey Costello request email]
A briefing titled
Briefing: Options to strengthen the regulatory regime for tobacco and nicotine
products -
Briefing A -
H2024051869 has also been identified as being in scope of your
request however it is withheld in full under section 9(2)(f)(iv) to maintain the constitutional
conventions that protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers and officials. I
have considered the countervailing public interest in release in making this decision and
consider that it does not outweigh the need to withhold at this time.
A further document titled
Rapid review of evidence for snus
and nicotine pouches has also
been identified. Please find this attached and released to you in full.
3. Between your office and external lobbyists, industry groups, public health advocates,
or other stakeholders referencing these topics.
4. Any internal discussions
or documents within your office that mention Zyn or related
products.
Neither myself nor my office has had any correspondence or briefings with external
lobbyists, industry groups, public health advocates, or other stakeholders referencing these
topics. No internal discussions or documents mentioning Zyn or related products are held
within my office. As such, this part of your request is refused under section 18(g)(i) of the
Act.
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Hon
y Costello
Associate Minister of Health
