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New Zealand: Banned sale of cigarettes to future generations

2022-12-13T14:52:59.846Z


The rules are among the strictest in the world: in New Zealand it will become increasingly difficult to get cigarettes in the future. The younger generation should be completely forbidden.


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New Zealand wants to make smoking significantly more difficult for future generations.

The parliament in the capital Wellington passed a corresponding legislative package.

Thereafter, no tobacco may be sold to people born on or after January 1, 2009.

The new laws are expected to come into force next year.

New Zealand's government, led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, wants to make the country "smoke-free" by 2025.

The number of licensed tobacco sales outlets is also to be reduced from 6,000 to 600 by the end of 2023.

In addition, the nicotine content in tobacco-containing products should decrease.

The measures are among the strictest in the world: Violations can result in fines of up to 150,000 dollars (equivalent to around 91,000 euros).

Eight percent of all New Zealanders smoke every day

"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.

According to the Bureau of Statistics, eight percent of all New Zealanders smoke every day.

In 2021, 9.4 percent of the population would still smoke.

While the proportion in New Zealand is declining slightly, according to a long-term study, it has increased significantly in Germany since the beginning of the corona pandemic.

It is currently more than a third (34.5 percent) for people aged 14 and over, as shown by the representative "German survey on smoking behavior" (Debra).

Before the pandemic (early 2020) it was about 27 percent.

A quarter more people are currently smoking than just before the pandemic.

It is gratifying, however, that fewer and fewer young people are reaching for cigarettes.

"Unfortunately, we are currently observing an opposite trend among adults," said Christina Rummel, Managing Director of the German Center for Addiction Issues (DHS).

bam/dpa

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-12-13

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