New Zealand on Thursday announced plans to ban anyone born after 2008 from ever being able to buy cigarettes or other tobacco products in the …
New Zealand on Thursday announced plans to ban anyone born after 2008 from ever being able to buy cigarettes or other tobacco products in the country as part of a broader effort to completely phase out smoking in the island nation by 2025. The proposed legislation, which is expected to become law next year, will gradually raise the smoking age over decades until it covers the entire population. People who already smoke will be allowed to continue to do so, but nicotine levels in available tobacco products will be reduced and the number of retailers authorized to sell cigarettes could be cut drastically, according to the legislation. “This is a historic day for the health of our people,” Dr. Ayesha Verrall, associate health minister, said in a statement. “We want to make sure young people never start smoking so we will make it an offense to sell or supply smoked tobacco products to new cohorts of youth.
