New Zealand passes world-first tobacco law to ban smoking for next generation
New Zealand passes world-first tobacco law to ban smoking for next generation
This idea has been discussed before but this is the first attempt at implementing it. I think NZ is one of the few countries that could make this work due to its remote location and many illicit drugs are difficult and expensive to access there. It will be interesting to watch how this plays out.New Zealand has introduced a steadily rising smoking age to stop those aged 14 and under from ever being able to legally buy cigarettes in world-first legislation to outlaw smoking for the next generation.
Associate health minister Ayesha Verrall said at the law’s passing on Tuesday: “Thousands of people will live longer, healthier lives and the health system will be $5bn better off from not needing to treat the illnesses caused by smoking, such as numerous types of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, amputations.”
New Zealand is believed to be the first country in the world to implement the annually rising smoking age, ensuring tobacco cannot be sold to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.
It will be accompanied by a slew of other measures to make smoking less affordable and accessible, including dramatically reducing the legal amount of nicotine in tobacco products and forcing them to be sold only through specialty tobacco stores, rather than corner stores and supermarkets.
The country has also increased funding for health services and campaigns, and rolled out quitting services specifically for Māori and Pacific communities.
The number of stores legally allowed to sell cigarettes will be reduced to a tenth of their existing levels – from 6,000 to just 600 nationwide. The laws passed their final reading on Tuesday evening, and will come into force in 2023, as New Zealand attempts to reach its goal of making the country “smoke-free” by 2025.
While introducing the law for its first reading in July, Verrall said: “For decades we have permitted tobacco companies to maintain their market share by making their deadly product more and more addictive. It is disgusting and it is bizarre. We have more regulations in this country on the safety of the sale of a sandwich than on a cigarette.
“We want to make sure young people never start smoking so we will make it an offence to sell or supply smoked tobacco products to new cohorts of youth. People aged 14 when the law comes into effect will never be able to legally purchase tobacco.”
“Smoking rates are plummeting,” she added. “Our goal of being smoke-free by 2025 is within reach.”
The new laws, however, will not restrict vape sales. Data indicates that at least some New Zealanders have swapped their nicotine habit from cigarettes to vapes.
Data released in November showed the number of people smoking daily had fallen to 8% – down from 9.4% last year – marking the lowest rates since records began.
The rise in daily vape users, however, was larger than the drop in daily smokers: 8.3% of adults are now vaping daily, up from 6.2% in the past year.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... ng-by-2025
Scarier than malaria.
- Ghostwriter
- Expatriate
- Posts: 3151
- Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2019 2:01 am
- Reputation: 2026
Re: New Zealand passes world-first tobacco law to ban smoking for next generation
No cigs in corner stores or supermarkets for us (only tobacco stores), but we're still smoking a lot here (France). But yeah, a necessery step nonetheless.
In Germany there was 5 Marks cigs vending machine when i lived there, now that was open-bar for young smokers too ^^.
Re: New Zealand passes world-first tobacco law to ban smoking for next generation
No fun allowed the country
-
- Expatriate
- Posts: 567
- Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:04 pm
- Reputation: 167
Re: New Zealand passes world-first tobacco law to ban smoking for next generation
As long as violations only include fines and not prison sentences. I don't think people should go to prison for illegal substances, because people are usually just hurting themselves or other criminal organizations. Hospitals should also be allowed to refuse treatment of anyone who is admitted for the abuse of said substances. If you fine people and make it too costly for them, then that should be enough motivation.
- Ghostwriter
- Expatriate
- Posts: 3151
- Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2019 2:01 am
- Reputation: 2026
Re: New Zealand passes world-first tobacco law to ban smoking for next generation
What about weed, any plan to legalize ?
Gandalf : a bad example for the hobbit's youth ?
Gandalf : a bad example for the hobbit's youth ?
- Username Taken
- Raven
- Posts: 13944
- Joined: Mon May 19, 2014 6:53 pm
- Reputation: 6019
Re: New Zealand passes world-first tobacco law to ban smoking for next generation
My understanding was that the American Indians used to smoke the peace pipe and never had any issues with cancer and the like.
The health problems began when cigarette companies, like BAT, started adding chemicals that made the cigarette burn quicker and made the smoker want to smoke more.
Solution: take cigarettes out of the hands of BAT, and allow smokers to grow their own tobacco (right next to their own weed and tomatoes).
The health problems began when cigarette companies, like BAT, started adding chemicals that made the cigarette burn quicker and made the smoker want to smoke more.
Solution: take cigarettes out of the hands of BAT, and allow smokers to grow their own tobacco (right next to their own weed and tomatoes).
Re: New Zealand passes world-first tobacco law to ban smoking for next generation
Yep, dying of cancer is a bundle of laughs.
Once you've read the dictionary, every other book is just a remix.
Re: New Zealand passes world-first tobacco law to ban smoking for next generation
Not many smoke in NZ now it's to expensive, same as Australia, at mums 80th birthday party nobody out of 30 people had a lighter for the candles, had to nip down the shop .
I'm standing up, so I must be straight.
What's a poor man do when the blues keep following him around.(Smoking Dynamite)
What's a poor man do when the blues keep following him around.(Smoking Dynamite)
Re: New Zealand passes world-first tobacco law to ban smoking for next generation
What a great idea. Wonder if Cambodia will ever introduce a similar initiative. It's not like the gov here can be making much money off them at $1-2 a pack
Wouldn't want to ruin the 'fun' tho.
Wouldn't want to ruin the 'fun' tho.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 18 Replies
- 3450 Views
-
Last post by SternAAlbifrons
-
- 14 Replies
- 4434 Views
-
Last post by lipservice
-
- 6 Replies
- 2244 Views
-
Last post by Clutch Cargo
-
- 0 Replies
- 1228 Views
-
Last post by yong
-
- 0 Replies
- 14110 Views
-
Last post by Big'n
-
- 1 Replies
- 597 Views
-
Last post by Ghostwriter
-
- 7 Replies
- 1759 Views
-
Last post by SlowJoe
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Amazon [Bot], Google [Bot] and 672 guests