'Smoke-free' by 2025: New Zealand bans smoking for future generations
Created: 2022-12-13, 4:16 p.m
By: Patrick Huljina
The New Zealand government wants to make the country “smoke-free” by 2025.
A law now bans the sale of tobacco to young people.
Wellington - New Zealand declares war on smoking.
The government around Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wants to make the country "smoke-free" by 2025.
To this end, future generations are even to be banned by law from smoking.
On Tuesday (December 13) the parliament in the capital Wellington passed a corresponding legislative package.
New Zealand: Tobacco sale to future generations soon to be banned by law
According to this, no tobacco may be sold in New Zealand to people born on or after January 1, 2009.
The new laws are expected to come into force as early as next year.
According to the statistics agency, eight percent of all New Zealanders currently smoke every day.
Last year, 9.4 percent of the population smoked cigarettes.
"There is no good reason to allow the sale of a product that kills half the people who use it," Deputy Health Secretary Ayesha Verrall said in Parliament.
Health care will also save billions if diseases such as cancer, heart attacks and strokes, which can also be caused by smoking, no longer have to be treated.
New Zealand bans the sale of tobacco to future generations.
(Iconic image) © Fabian Sommer/dpa
Criticism of the new law: the opposition fears the emergence of a black market
The number of licensed tobacco outlets in the country is to be reduced from 6,000 to 600 by the end of 2023.
In addition, the nicotine content in tobacco-containing products should be reduced.
The measures in New Zealand are among the strictest in the world: Violations can result in fines of up to 150,000 dollars (equivalent to around 91,000 euros).
The new law drew criticism from the New Zealand opposition.
Brooke van Velden fears that the sales ban could create a large black market.
She is the deputy leader of the ACT party, which opposed the law in parliament.
According to the politician, many small shops and kiosks in particular would have to go out of business if they could no longer sell cigarettes.
"There will be no improvements for the New Zealanders as a result,"
ABC News
quoted van Velden as saying.
(ph/dpa)