Wellington (Reuters) – New Zealand will repeal a groundbreaking law banning tobacco sales for future generations on Tuesday, the government announced. The law, set to take effect in July, would have been the toughest anti-tobacco regulation in the world, prohibiting sales to those born after January 1, 2009, reducing nicotine content in tobacco products, and drastically decreasing the number of tobacco retailers.
The new coalition government, elected in October, will proceed with the repeal as a matter of urgency, allowing them to scrap the law without public consultation as previously planned. Associate Health Minister Casey Costello stated that while the government is committed to reducing smoking, they will take a different regulatory approach to discourage the habit and minimize its harmful effects.
Costello announced plans to present a series of measures to the cabinet to expand tools available to help people quit smoking. Additionally, regulations on vaping will be tightened to discourage young people from picking up the habit. The decision to repeal the law has faced significant criticism due to concerns about its impact on public health in New Zealand.
Many fear that the repeal could disproportionately affect Maori and Pasifika populations, which have higher smoking rates. Otago University researcher Janet Hoek criticized the decision, stating that it goes against strong research evidence and disregards measures supported by Maori leaders, which could have accelerated smoking cessation and prevented young people from starting the habit.
Hoek, co-director of a group focusing on smoking reduction strategies, emphasized that the legislation would have significantly increased quit rates among smokers and deterred youth from smoking, based on extensive clinical trials and modeling studies. The decision to repeal the law has raised concerns about preserving health inequities in the country.
(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
