If you were born in New Zealand，you'll never ever be allowed to buy a pack of cigarettes there. In new legislation(立法) expected to take hold next year，no cigarettes or tobacco products will be available for people to purchase legally in the country. That means anyone who is 14 as of today will never be allowed to buy them in New Zealand. The four-year Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action plan hopes to reduce rates of smoking for older people while completely banning sales for the younger population.
Associate health minister Dr. Ayesha Verall, who announced the government's plan, said the country is concentrating on a "smoke-free generation" with this legislation. "We want to make sure young people never start smoking so we will make it an offense to sell or supply smoked tobacco products to new population of youth," said Verall in a statement.
The move comes as New Zealand's health ministry pursues a large-scale crackdown(打压) on tobacco in the country. In April 2021, the country's parliament announced its goal of being smoke-free by 2025, aiming to slowly reduce, phase out, then entirely cut the prospect of smoking. There are already existing barriers to tobacco products in New Zealand, including high taxes and plain packaging on cigarettes.
"Clinical studies have shown that dramatically reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes make it far easier for people to quit," said Verall in parliament. "So the action plan will see New Zealand transition to low-nicotine cigarettes, This is a major change but it is based on clinical research and it is realistic, because with vapes(电子烟) widely available, there is a far less harmful option available for smokers who are addicted to nicotine. While vapes were introduced as a way to reduce cigarette consumption, they remain harmful according to research. Vapes are also particularly appealing to young people, who have long been the target people for the product."
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