Dec 9, 2021, 7:39 PM IST
In an attempt to outlaw the habit of smoking and make New Zealand smoke-free within the next four years, the government has announced it will ban cigarettes for the next generation so that those aged 14 and under today will not be legally allowed to buy tobacco. Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall on Thursday (December 8) said that the new legislation effectively means that with every passing year, the legal smoking age increases. She added that this is a historic day for New Zealanders' health and hoped the move would ensure a smoke-free generation.
The government also announced other measures to make smoking expensive and less accessible to New Zealanders. These measures include reducing the legal amount of nicotine in tobacco products to deficient levels, reducing the number of shops where cigarettes are legally sold, and increasing funding to aid addiction rehabilitation. Officials say the government looks to reduce the number of authorised outlets that sell cigarettes from 8,000 to under 500.
According to statistics, 13% of New Zealand adults currently smoke, down from a decade-old 18%. However, the rate is much higher, i.e. about 31%, among the indigenous Maori population of the country, who incidentally suffer a higher rate of disease and death.
However, the newly announced laws do not apply to vaping or smoking e-cigarettes, which has become a far more popular option among the younger generation. However, authorities have warned that vaping is dangerous, too, with research suggesting that e-cigarette liquids have cancer-causing agents in them.