New Zealand is planning a historic change: the country aims to become smoke-free by 2025. This means that some generations will never be able to legally buy tobacco.
Wellington – Smoking is one of the most common preventable causes of death in industrialized countries – including Germany. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, over 127,000 people die every year as a result of tobacco consumption. Even if the number of users is declining, it is estimated that 4.4 million people in the 18- to 64-year-old age group are dependent on tobacco. This was reported by the German Central Office for Addiction Issues (DHS).
New Zealand now wants to declare war on smoking and has set itself a high goal: The country in the Southwest Pacific plans to become smoke-free by 2025. This means that less than five percent of the population still smoke.
New Zealand wants to become smoke-free: raise the minimum age for cigarette purchases
But how is that supposed to work? New Zealand plans to raise the minimum age for buying cigarettes every year. The New Zealand government announced on Thursday (December 9th, 2021) that it would completely ban smoking for future generations. The current age for buying cigarettes and similar tobacco products is 14 years. Anyone younger than that cannot legally buy tobacco with it.
| New Zealand | |
|---|---|
| capital city | Wellington |
| Population (2020) | 5.1 million |
| Official languages | English and Maori |
“For all the patients I have looked after who have been killed or maimed by tobacco use – this is for you,” New Zealand Deputy Health Minister Ayesha Verrall wrote on Twitter. According to the new law, those who are above the minimum age can continue to smoke legally. The law is expected to be passed in the coming year 2022.
Smoking in New Zealand: Cut down on tobacco sales in stores
In addition to the smoking ban for certain generations, the permissible nicotine content in tobacco products is to decrease, according to Vice magazine. The number of shops that sell cigarettes and the like is also to be reduced. At the same time, support measures are being planned in New Zealand to help people who want to quit smoking.
The proportion of smokers in New Zealand is declining and, according to tagesschau.de, is around eleven percent (as of 2020). However, the proportion among the Maori indigenous population is significantly higher at around 22 percent. Similar to Germany, smoking is one of the most common preventable causes of death in New Zealand and leads to 4,000 to 5,000 fatalities every year. In addition, regular smoking causes numerous cancers, according to Vice.
New Zealand is taking a historic step towards our smokefree future.
We will implement bold measures, including banning the sale of cigarettes to future generations, as part of our #Smokefree2025 Action Plan. https://t.co/rx2tkrWJK9
— Ayesha Verrall (@drayeshaverrall) December 8, 2021
Smoking ban in New Zealand: new project meets with criticism
“Covid has shown what we can achieve when we all work together towards a public health goal, and we want to build on that momentum to achieve our goal,” Verrall told Twitter. New Zealand’s venture is already receiving praise. “I’m a smoker myself and think that’s a great idea,” commented a Facebook user.
On the other hand, the smoking ban has met with criticism – also from politics. “The government’s gradual ban on the sale of tobacco is simply a ban and will ultimately create a black market,” Karen Chhour, spokeswoman for the opposition New Zealand right-wing party ACT, said in a statement. (kas) * hna.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
Many cigarette brands apparently exceed the legal limit values in the EU. * The reason for the falsified data is said to be an error in a test process.
