December 16, 2022, 10:45 PM
December 16, 2022, 10:45 PM
New Zealand will gradually implement a near-total tobacco ban from 2023 that will prevent anyone born after 2008 from buying cigarettes, while reducing the amount of nicotine in products available for sale.
According to the text approved this Tuesday (13.12.2022) by Parliament and aimed at reducing the number of consumers of tobacco products, the legal age for smoking will be raised progressively each year.
Thus, the law prohibits the sale of tobacco to those born on or after January 1, 2009. This means that the minimum age to buy cigarettes will continue to rise and rise. In theory, someone trying to buy a pack of cigarettes 50 years from now would need an ID showing that she is at least 63 years old.
Savings in the health system
The provisions are a step “towards a tobacco-free future”, according to Minister Ayesha Verrall, who promoted the legislation.
“Thousands of people will live longer, healthier lives, and the healthcare system will benefit from NZ$5 billion [unos 3.000 millones de euros o dólares] by not having to treat diseases caused by smoking, such as many types of cancer, heart attacks, strokes and amputations,” he said.
The adult smoking rate is already low in New Zealand, where it reaches 8%. The text adopted on Tuesday and called “Tobacco-free environments” wants to reduce this rate to less than 5% by 2025.
