From 2027, New Zealand has a lifetime ban on the sale of cigarettes to anyone below the age of 14. Additionally, the ban will remain for the rest of their life. Here’s how the cigarette sales ban works.
What is New Zealand’s cigarette sale ban?
On Thursday, New Zealand revealed that it will be banning youngsters from buying cigarettes for life. The ban is one of the toughest methods in the world aimed at curbing deaths due to smoking. New Zealand is one of 17 other countries where plain cigarette packaging is mandatory. The government is also banning sales of cigarettes for those under the age of 18. However, it is not as helpful to ensure that only less than five percent of adults in the nation are smoking. Additionally, the ban is also focusing on a wider plan as it has disproportionate impacts on the nation’s indigenous Māori population.
With the introduction of the sales ban, the nation is aiming to ban cigarettes for a lifetime of those who will turn 14 after 2027. Hence, this means that a 60-year-old cannot buy cigarettes in 2073. However, a 61-year-old can. According to reports from their health authorities, smokers pick up the habit during their age. Four out of every five smokers in the nation start smoking by the age of 18. According to the authorities, this might help in avoiding over 5,000 preventable deaths annually.
More on the rules towards a smoke-free generation
As of now, more details on how the government will enforce the rules are not available. Additionally, details on retails banned from selling tobacco products are still awaited. They will probably be brought with the introduction of the legislature in 2022. A Māori experts’ task force on tobacco health and public health are also consulting on the plan. The government added that it wants to introduce the changes in parts ensuring lower economic harm on retailers and mental health burden on consumers. Moreover, New Zealand is not the first country to enforce stick laws on cigarettes. The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan was the first to ban cigarette sales in 2010.