New Zealand has come up with a unique legislation to end cigarette smoking for future generations. Any person born after January 1, 2009, is now prohibited by law from purchasing tobacco products in their lifetime.
The new laws, which are among the strictest worldwide, passed in parliament on Tuesday as part of a crackdown on smoking. To break these laws is punishable by fines of up to $150,000.
The new anti-smoking legislation also restricts where cigarettes can be sold, cutting the number of retailers able to sell tobacco by 90 per cent, in an effort to make New Zealand a smoke-free nation by 2025. For instance, licensed retailers selling tobacco will be cut from 6,000 to 600 by the end of 2023.
In a statement in parliament, Associate Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall said: ”There is no good reason to allow a product to be sold that kills half the people that use it,”
New Zealand’s health authorities expect this cigarettes ban reform to help people live longer and healthier lives, alongside reducing the cost of treating illnesses caused by smoking. Additionally, it is claimed that smoking causes one in four cancers and is the prime cause of preventable death in New Zealand.
This cigarettes ban in New Zealand has been greeted with mixed reactions. For instance, some people believe it will create a black market for cigarettes purchases. Meanwhile, others think it will help smokers quit. What do you think?
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