“Brake” on smoking puts for future generations of New Zealanders the country’s parliament. As was made clear on Tuesday (13/12) when the relevant bill was passed those born after 2009 will be prohibited from buying tobacco under the package of new anti-smoking laws that are among the strictest in the world.
This particular package of new laws includes a ban on the sale of tobacco to any citizen born on or after January 1, 2009. The ban will remain in effect for a person’s entire life.
The legislation would also reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in tobacco productsy and will limit the number of retailers that will be able to sell tobacco by 90%.
“This legislation accelerates progress towards a smoke-free future,” said Dr. Ayesa Veral, Deputy Minister of Health, in a statement, as reported by the Athens News Agency.
“Thousands of people will live longer, healthier lives, and the health system will save $5 billion by not having to provide treatment for diseases caused by smoking, such as various types of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, amputations,” he noted.
Retailers licensed to sell tobacco will be reduced by 600 by the end of 2023 from 6,000.
THE New Zealandwhich already has one of the lowest rates of adult smokers among the 38 countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is moving forward with further tightening of anti-smoking laws as part of the government’s push for a “tobacco-free” country by 2025.
Only Bhutan, which banned sales of cigarettes in 2010, it will have a stricter anti-smoking law.
The number of New Zealand adults who smoke has halved in the past decade to 8%, with 56,000 quitting in the past year. According to OECD data, 25% of French adults smoked in 2021.
ACT New Zealand, which holds 10 of the 120 seats in Parliament, condemned the legislation, saying it would wipe out small shops and drive people into the black market.
“No one wants to see people smoke, but the reality is that some people will,” said party vice-president Brooke van Velden, adding that the ban would cause problems.
Source: News Beast
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