New Zealand Parliament passed a law on Tuesday Prohibit the sale of tobacco gradually from 2027, this will make the country the second country after Bhutan to ban this product.
The rule introduced by the government in December last year is that those born on or after 1 January 2009, starting this year, If they are 13 and turn 18 in 2027, they will never be able to legally buy tobacco in New Zealand.
The law advocated by the Prime Minister’s Labor PartyJacinda ArdernIt was accepted with 76 votes in favor and 43 against.
“This law accelerates progress towards a free future” tobacco“Deputy Health Minister Ayesha Verral said in a statement that the law would also reduce the amount of nicotine that tobacco products can carry.
The minister announced “Thousands of people will live longer and healthier”, the health system will be able to stop spending up to NZ$5,000 million (approximately $3,198 million or €3,034 million) on the treatment of various types of cancer, heart attacks and tobacco-related amputations.
The new law requires cIt is currently closing 90 percent of the 6,000 stores in the country that can sell tobacco. “This law requires a maximum of 600 tobacconists by the end of the year,” Verral said.
According to a study conducted by the Minister, 25 stores that have stopped the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in the country, 88 percent “experienced a neutral or positive financial impact.”
in New Zealand, only 8 percent of adults smoke every day, compared to 9.4 percent in 2021 and 16 percent a decade ago, according to surveys.
According to 2019 OECD dataRegular smoking rate of adults in Turkey is 28 percent, in Chile 24.5 percent, in China 21.5 percent, in Spain 19.8 percent, in Finland 13 percent, in the USA 10.9 percent, Norway Rica at 9 percent and 4.2 percent in Costa Rica, among others.
High tobacco taxes
New Zealand has increased tobacco taxes over the past 10 years up to 165 percent and a pack of cigarettes costs at least about NZ$30 (around US$19 or €18).
this main opposition parties National and ACT New Zealand voted against the law.
national proxy shane rejectionI confirmed that his party was in favor of reducing tobacco consumption first and then the number of tobacconists, so he criticized the law and forced thousands of businesses to close.
The Maori Party supported the bill, but wondered why it wasn’t supportedor electric cigarettes are included in the ban.
Some critics of the law also speculate that: The ban will increase tobacco smuggling in the country.
Following the example of New Zealand, The Malaysian Parliament began debating a bill last July banning the sale of tobacco to those born on or after January 1, 2007.