New Zealand intends to prohibit the sale of tobacco to the next generation in order to achieve its goal of becoming a smoke-free nation by 2025.
People born after 2008 will not be able to buy cigarettes or any tobacco products during their lifetime, according to a new rule set to take effect next year.
“We want to make sure that young people never start smoking, thus selling or supplying smoked tobacco products to fresh cohorts of kids will be illegal.” “When the law takes effect, people under the age of 14 will never be allowed to legally purchase cigarettes,” Health Minister Dr. Ayesha Verall stated in a statement.
The move is part of New Zealand’s long-standing campaign against the cigarette industry. Its Smokefree Action Plan intends to reduce daily smoking prevalence in all population groups across the motu to less than 5% by 2020.