December 13, 2022
New Zealand has made a change with respect to access to tobacco products. Citizens born after January 1, 2009 will be not able to purchase tobacco products (e.g. cigarettes) for smoking. While the minimum age for 2022 translates to 13 years, the age will effectively increase every year.
The new law is part of the country's 'Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan' launched in 2021 "to eliminate the harm smoked tobacco products cause our communities." New Zealand's government health website reports that "more than 529,000 New Zealanders still smoke" and that the end goal is "by 2025 less than five percent of New Zealanders will be smokers."
Tobacco has several negative effects on not only one's health but the economy and environment as well. It can cause many diseases including cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease. The environmental implications of its use is detrimental to drinking water, air and cultivation while, economically, smoking costs the world approximately US$ 1.4 trillion per year.
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