New Zealand Will Ban The Sale Of Tobacco To Future Generations

New Zealand will ban the sale of tobacco to future generations in a bid to eventually phase out smoking, the BBC reports.

 
Under a law expected to be enacted next year, “no person born after 2008 will be able to purchase cigarettes or tobacco products in their lifetime.”

We want to make sure that young people do not start smoking Health Minister Dr. Aisha Feral said.

The move is part of a comprehensive campaign against smoking announced by the New Zealand Ministry of Health on Thursday.

New Zealand law currently prohibits the sale of tobacco to those under the age of eighteen, and from 2027 this legal age will be raised by one year every year, according to Health Minister Aisha Viral.

We want to ensure that people never start smoking, as with age, they and future generations will never be able to buy tobacco legally the minister said.

The minister explained that the government will also adopt a law aimed at limiting the number of places that sell tobacco and only allowing products with a low concentration of nicotine, in order to reduce the risk of addiction.

Feral noted that these measures will allow New Zealand to maintain its role as a world leader in tobacco control.

In 1990, New Zealand banned the tobacco sector from sponsoring any sporting activities, and in 2004 the country banned smoking in bars, and the minister said, “This is a historic day for the health of our residents.”

Tobacco, responsible for a quarter of all cancers, remains the leading cause of preventable deaths in New Zealand.

The minister pointed out that the health bill is very large, as the rate of tobacco smoking is nearly twice that of the rest of the population, which is 13.5%.

The government plans to reduce this percentage to 5% by 2025, and it believes that this target is achievable and would allow the health system to save costs of approximately NZ$5.5 billion ($3.74 billion).

The pressure group Action on Smoking and Health praised these steps, saying they put New Zealand “at the forefront of tobacco control in the world.”

 

SOURCE  :   KUWAIT OFFERINGS

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