London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

New Zealand Will Ban Cigarettes for All Future Generations

New Zealand Will Ban Cigarettes for All Future Generations

The New Zealand government said it would ban all sales of cigarettes for its future generations, as part of the country’s push to go smoke free by 2025. Anyone born after 2008 will be prohibited from buying cigarettes in their lifetime.
Announced on Thursday, the prohibition means anyone who’s currently age 14 and under will never be able to legally buy tobacco in the country.

“For all the patients I have cared for who have been killed or maimed by tobacco – this one’s for you,” New Zealand’s associate minister of health Ayesha Verrall, said on her personal Twitter.

At present, smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in New Zealand. It causes one in four cancers and results in 4,000 to 5,000 smoking-related premature deaths every year.

Healthcare officials believe recent crackdowns will effectively eliminate smoking in the nation, making New Zealand the first country in the world to go entirely smoke free.

Along with the ban, Verrall said that support measures will also be introduced to assist people trying to end smoking habits.

The government will also reduce legal nicotine levels in smoked tobacco and slash the number of stores selling them.

According to government data, smoking among adults declined from 18 percent in 2006 to 11.6 percent by 2020. But the rate of smoking is much higher among New Zealand's Māori and Pasifika populations—28.7 percent and 18.3 percent, respectively—which is also why it’s crucial to implement this ban, Verrall said.

“While smoking rates are heading in the right direction, we need to do more, faster to reach our goal. If nothing changes, it would be decades till Māori smoking rates fall below 5 percent, and this government is not prepared to leave people behind,” she said.

But not included in this most recent legislation is a ban on vaping, which studies have shown is about two to three times more prevalent than smoking in New Zealand.

In a 2019 study, 10 percent of surveyed students vaped regularly, or at least once a month. More than 49 percent of these students had been non-smokers before vaping.

Though some health experts praised the government’s new legislation, Karen Chhour, the spokesperson for New Zealand’s opposing right-wing ACT party, has called the new changes “bad policy making.”

“The Government’s gradual ban on all tobacco sales is prohibition plain and simple and it will eventually create a black market,” she said in a statement.

A new law to implement the ban will be made some time in 2022 to give businesses room to transition to a new business model.
Comments

Oh ya 4 year ago
And on top of that the world should ban man buns. You just cant make yourself look more stupid even if you tried

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×