Under a new law the government announced Thursday and plans to pass next year, the minimum age to buy cigarettes will keep rising year after year
A man smokes in Aotea Square in Auckland on Thursday. Pic/AP
New Zealand’s government believes it has come up with a unique plan to end tobacco smoking — a lifetime ban for those aged 14 or younger.
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Under a new law the government announced Thursday and plans to pass next year, the minimum age to buy cigarettes will keep rising year after year.
That means, in theory at least, 65 years after the law takes effect, shoppers could still buy cigarettes — but only if they could prove they were at least 80 years old.
In practice, officials hope smoking will fade away decades before then. Indeed, the plan sets a goal of having fewer than 5 per cent of New Zealanders smoking by 2025.
Other parts of the plan include allowing only sale of tobacco products with very low nicotine levels and slashing the number of stores that sell them.
The changes will be brought in over time to help retailers adjust. Because the current minimum age to buy cigarettes is 18, the lifetime smoking ban for youth wouldn’t have an impact for a few years.
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