The Government of New Zealand has announced your intention to outlaw the tobacco in the next decades through a bill that will progressively increase the age allowed to buy cigarettes. “We want to make sure that young people never start smoking, so we will make it a crime to sell or supply tobacco to new generations of young people. They are 14 years old when the law comes into force, they will never be able to legally buy tobacco“said the Deputy Minister of Health, Ayesha Verrall.
The law is part of an action plan of the Labor Government of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, whose objective is to achieve a “tobacco-free generation” with measures such as the limitation of the establishments where cigarettes can be sold or the reduction of nicotine.
According to the action plan posted on the website of the Ministry of Health, the Executive will begin this month the legislative reform so that the new law enters into force in December 2022, with measures that will be applied in a phased manner. As of a certain date, the age at which it is allowed to buy cigarettes will increase each year until it is illegal for all ages.
The progressive application of the law has created confusion in New Zealand as to which generation would be the first to not being able to legally buy tobacco throughout your life, Although it is estimated that it ranges between those born in 2008 and 2013. If the law is passed, New Zealand will be the second nation to outlaw the sale of tobacco, something that has now only been done by Bhutan in 2004.
One of the specific objectives of the action plan is to reduce tobacco use in New Zealand to less than 5% of the total population by 2025. The authorities noted when presenting their plan that despite a decrease in tobacco use Tobacco in recent years is still very high among the original Maori ethnic group, 28%, compared to the population of European origin, which reaches 20%.
Tobacco consumption is also higher among the lowest incomes, despite the fact that the policies of recent years have been based on an increase in the price, which is currently around at least 30 New Zealand dollars (about 20 dollars or 18 euros) per package. Official figures indicate that tobacco is the cause of death of up to 5,000 people a year in New Zealand, which represents 15% of total mortality. “While smoking rates are heading in the right direction, we must do more and faster to reach our goal. If nothing changes, it will take decades for Maori smoking rates to drop below 5 percent, and this Government He is not willing to leave people behind, “said the Minister of Health.
Tobacco generates more public costs than revenue
The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) has stated that the Government’s plan will benefit the country, recalling that more than 80% of smokers in New Zealand wish they had never started smoking. “The best way to achieve an Aotearoa (New Zealand in Maori) is to prevent our ‘tamakiri’ (‘children’ in Maori) from ever starting to smoke in the first place. The policy of a generation without tobacco will be a crucial moment for health respiratory disease in New Zealand, “said Alistair Humphrey, president of the NZMA in a statement.
According to the government plan, Tobacco taxes total about 1.9 billion annually of New Zealand dollars (about 1,200 million dollars or 1,140 million euros). Nevertheless, the cost derived from tobacco for public health and social services are estimated to be at least 2.5 billion dollarss (about $ 1.7 billion or € 1.5 billion), according to a 2016 Ministry of Health report.
The Executive has recognized in its proposal that the ban is “likely” to cause an increase in smuggling and even “challenges” in relation to the country’s international trade obligations. One of the most critical of the government’s proposal has been David Seymour, leader of the conservative ACT New Zealand party. “The prohibition has never worked, in any time or place. It has always had unintended consequences. We are going to have a black market for tobacco, without standards or regulation. The gangs will be rubbing their hands,” said Seymour on his Twitter account .
The measure has also sparked an outcry from grocery stores that sell cigarettes, fearing that without tobacco their businesses will not be sustainable.
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
