New Zealand Plans to Ban Cigarette Sales For Future Generations

New Zealand plans to ban the sale of cigarettes to future generations as part of its effort to reduce smoking rates in the country.

People aged 14 and under in 2027 will never be allowed to purchase cigarettes in New Zealand, part of the proposals unveiled on Thursday, 9 December, revealed.

The proposals also aim to reduce the number of retailers authorised to sell tobacco and cut nicotine levels in all products.

While the existing measures like plain packaging and fines on sales slowed down tobacco consumption, the New Zealand government said tougher rules were required to drastically lower smoking levels.

'We Will Make It an Offence to Sell or Supply Smoked Tobacco'

Speaking at a event in the Parliament, Ayesha Verrall, the Associate Minister of Health, said that the 'Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan' has six key focus areas with ground-breaking policies to radically reduce the "availability, addictiveness and appeal" of smoked tobacco products.

"We want to make sure young people never start smoking so we will make it an offence to sell or supply smoked tobacco to new cohorts of youth," she said, reported Reuters.

"If nothing changes, it would be decades till Maori smoking rates fall below 5 percent, and this government is not prepared to leave people behind."

Government data showed that at present, 11.6 percent of the country's population aged above 15 years of age smoked and the figure rose to 29 per cent among the native Maori adults.

In the coming months, the government plans to consult the Maori health task force before introducing a legislation regarding this in the parliament in June 2022.

The country plans to make it law by the end of next year, following which the restrictions would be gradually rolled out in stages from 2024.

Initially, the country would reportedly witness a significant reduction in the number of authorised sellers, followed by reduced nicotine requirements in 2025. By 2027, the country wishes to create a "smoke free" generation.

The proposals would collectively make New Zealand's retail tobacco industry one of the most restricted in the world, just behind Bhutan, where sale of cigarettes are completely banned.

The new restrictions, the government said, would halve its smoking rates in as early as 10 years from when they come into effect. About 5,000 people die in a year in New Zealand due to smoking, which is one of the major causes of preventable deaths in the country. Four in five people start smoking before turning 18, the government said.

While health authorities have welcomed the move, tobacco sellers have expressed concern over its impact on their businesses. Retailers have also warned of rise in illegal market.

(With inputs from Reuters, IANS)