New Zealand’s next govt to scrap tobacco law that ban smoking for next generation

Last year, New Zealand introduced a steadily rising smoking age to stop those aged 14 and under from ever being able to legally buy cigarettes in the world-first legislation to outlaw smoking for the next generation.

New Zealand’s acclaimed laws aimed at achieving a smoke-free nation will be revoked by the new centre-right government. The legislation, which prohibits tobacco sales to individuals born after 2008, will be discarded by the new administration as outlined in the coalition agreements released on Friday in Wellington.

New Zealand is already one of 17 countries where plain cigarette packaging is compulsory. It also bans sales to anyone under 18, but it says those measures are not enough to reach its goal of a national adult smoking rate of less than 5% by 2025.