‘Smoke-free by 2025’: NZ imposes lifetime ban on buying cigarettes

Future generations of New Zealanders will be banned from purchasing tobacco as part of a package of new anti-smoking laws that passed parliament on Tuesday and are among the most strict in the world.

The suite of new laws include bans on selling tobacco to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, punishable by fines up to NZ$150,000 ($95,910). The ban will remain in place for a person’s whole life.

New Zealand already boasts one of the lowest adult smoking rates in the OECD.Credit: Louie Douvis

The legislation will also reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in smoked tobacco products and cut the number of retailers able to sell tobacco by 90 per cent - down to 600 by the end of 2023 from 6000.

“This legislation accelerates progress towards a smoke-free future,” Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said in a statement.

“Thousands of people will live longer, healthier lives and the health system will be NZ$5 billion better off from not needing to treat the illnesses caused by smoking, such as numerous types of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, amputations.”

Credit: Matt Golding

Already boasting one of the lowest adult smoking rates among the 38 countries of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development, New Zealand is further tightening anti-smoking laws as part of a government push to make the country “smoke-free” by 2025.

The bill was first introduced a year ago. Then Verrall said more needed to be done to stop young people from taking up smoking in the first place and to make it less addictive and appealing.

“People aged 14 when the law comes into effect will never be able to legally purchase tobacco.”

The law does not affect vaping, which has already become more popular than smoking in New Zealand. Shops which wish to be a specialist vape retailer already need to apply to the Director-General of Health for approval.

Only Bhutan, which banned cigarette sales in 2010, will have stricter anti-smoking laws.

The number of adult New Zealanders smoking fell by half over the past decade to 8 per cent, with 56,000 quitting in the past year. OECD data shows 25 per cent of French adults smoked in 2021.

Verrall said the legislation would help close the life expectancy gap between Maori and non-Maori citizens, which can range as high as 25 per cent for women.

ACT New Zealand, which holds 10 out of 120 seats in parliament, condemned the law, saying it would kill off small shops and force people onto the black market.

“No one wants to see people smoke, but the reality is, some will. And Labour’s nanny state prohibition is going to cause problems,” said Deputy Leader Brooke van Velden.

Reuters, AP