New Zealand passes world's first tobacco law to ban smoking

Tags: International News

New Zealand passes world's first tobacco law to ban smoking

The New Zealand government on 13 December passed a law to completely end tobacco smoking by banning youth from buying cigarettes for life.

Important facts

  • The Smoke Free Environments and Regulated Products (Smoking Tobacco) Amendment Bill has been passed in New Zealand which aims to make New Zealand smoke free by 2025.

  • The bill aims to ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after January 1, 2009, and reduce the number of cigarette retailers in the country.

  • The bill has received bipartisan support in New Zealand's parliament and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also plans to reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in smokeless tobacco products.

  • Passage of the bill would reduce the number of tobacco retailers nationwide to about one-tenth of the current number of 6,000.

  • This will lead to thousands of lives longer and an additional $5 billion less burden on the health system as there will be no need to treat diseases caused by smoking, such as many types of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, amputations.

  • The legislation aims to prevent the high number of deaths caused by tobacco consumption in New Zealand which disproportionately affects the native Māori population.

About New Zealand

  • Prime Minister: Jacinda Ardern

  • Capital: Wellington

  • Currency : New Zealand dollar


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