New Zealand plans to ban smoking for the next generation so they can never legally buy tobacco in the country.
According to the proposed new legislation, the legal age of 18 years to buy tobacco will be progressively increased, said the associate minister of Health, Dr. Ayesha Verrall, at a press conference this Thursday (9).
“We want to ensure that young people never start smoking, so we will make it a crime to sell or supply tobacco products to new groups of young people,” Verrall said. “People under the age of 14, when the law goes into effect, will never be able to legally buy tobacco.”
The New Zealand government plans to present the bill to Parliament in 2022 as part of a campaign to reduce the prevalence of smoking in the community to less than 5% by 2025.
According to government data, 13.4% of New Zealand’s adult population is classified as a smoker. This is a drop of 18.2% compared to the 2011/2012 period.
Between 4,000 and 5,000 people die each year from smoking-related illnesses in the country, according to the Ministry of Health.
“Smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in New Zealand, and it causes one in four cancers,” Verrall said. “Tobacco-related harm is particularly prevalent in our low-income, Pacific Rim, Maori communities,” he added.
About 32 percent of Maori women smoke — the highest rate in the country, according to the ministry. The rate is 25% for Maori men.
Along with the proposed law, the government will prioritize “practical measures to support” smokers to help them quit smoking, Verrall added.
This includes ensuring that only products with very low levels of nicotine can be manufactured, imported and sold, and stricter restrictions on tobacco advertising. There will also be a significant reduction in the number of stores that can sell products with the product.
The legislation does not include e-cigarettes, which remain popular with young people in New Zealand. A November report from Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ revealed that nearly 20% of students use this type of cigarette daily, with 57% feeling it was having an adverse effect on their health.
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Reference: CNN Brasil
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