New Zealand passes world’s first tobacco law to ban smoking for future generations

New Zealand is now set to discourage the youth from smoking tobacco. Regarding this, the government has passed a law in Parliament on Tuesday, after which the coming generations of New Zealand (born after 2009) will be banned from buying tobacco. At the same time, according to the government, it is one of the strictest laws in the world.

The new laws include a ban on selling tobacco to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. Anyone found to be in breach can be fined up to NZ$150,000 ($95,910). Additionally, the smoking ban will remain in force for the person’s entire life. The country has passed the world’s first law to ban smoking for the next generation.

Will also reduce the amount of nicotine

According to this law passed in New Zealand, it will also reduce the amount of nicotine in tobacco products used for smoking, while cutting the number of retailers able to sell tobacco by 90 percent. In a statement, Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said the legislation would accelerate progress towards a smoke-free future.

She said that after the passage of the law, thousands of people will live longer, healthier lives and the health system will be better because diseases caused by smoking, such as many types of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, which are also very expensive to treat, will be reduced. The number of retailers licensed to sell tobacco will be reduced from 6,000 to 600 by the end of 2023.