New Zealand announced today, Thursday, a plan to gradually raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco in a "world-first" effort aimed at completely banning tobacco sales in the long term. The current New Zealand law prohibits the sale of tobacco to those under eighteen, and starting in 2027, this legal age will be raised by one year each year, as announced by Health Minister Ayesha Verrall.
The minister stated, "We want to ensure that people never start smoking... As they age, they and future generations will never be able to purchase tobacco legally." The minister explained that the government will also enact a law aimed at reducing the number of places that sell tobacco and only allow products with low nicotine concentrations to minimize the risk of addiction.
Verrall noted that these measures will enable New Zealand to maintain its role as a global leader in combating tobacco. In 1990, New Zealand banned the tobacco sector from sponsoring any sports activities, and in 2004, the country prohibited smoking in bars. The minister declared, "This is a historic day for the health of our population."
Tobacco, responsible for a quarter of cancer cases, remains the leading cause of preventable deaths in New Zealand. The minister pointed out that the health costs are very high among Māori and Pacific communities, where the smoking rate is nearly double that of the general population, which stands at 13.5%.
The government aims to reduce this percentage to 5% by 2025, believing that this goal is achievable and would allow the healthcare system to save approximately NZD 5.5 billion (USD 3.74 billion). The advocacy group "Action on Smoking and Health" praised these steps, considering them to place New Zealand "at the forefront of tobacco control globally."
Meanwhile, the tobacco company "British American Tobacco New Zealand" stated that these measures "have not been tested, lack any basis, and are devoid of scientific evidence regarding their effectiveness." They pointed out that the decision will lead to an increase in tobacco sales on the black market.
