New Zealand: cigarettes banned for those born after 2008

It was announced and is now the law, one of the toughest in the world against smoking. In New Zealand, the government of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has introduced a law that effectively prohibits all those born after 2008 from buying cigarettes for their entire life. Every year the age for buying cigarettes will be raised, from the current age of 18, and smoking will gradually become illegal nationwide. 65 years after its entry into force, only people over 80 could buy cigarettes. The goal is to have a country with a smoking rate below 5% already in four years.

«We want to make sure that young people never start smoking, for this we have launched an offensive against those who sell or supply tobacco to young people, ”said Ayesha Verrall, Minister for Food Safety and Associate Minister for Health. The legislation is expected to be approved and come into effect next year.

The number of places authorized to sell tobacco products is also decreasing. There are more restrictive rules only in Bhutan, even if in many countries of the world legislation is being made that restricts the places where you can smoke, even outdoors.

Penalties, if the law is broken, are for sellers, not people trying to buy tobacco. At least for now. In fact, it is not clear what the black market for cigarettes will be. It is difficult to imagine that it is not created since in history it has always arrived when they have been taken prohibitionist provisions like this.

In the country every year between 4500 and 5000 people die tumor lungs and related diseases, one of the highest causes of death. The Maori are the most affected by smoking: 11.6% of the population over 15 smoke, but the percentage rises to 29% among Maori and 30 among women.