WELLINGTON: New Zealand is going to repeal a world-first law banning tobacco sales for upcoming generations, the government stated, even while campaigners and researchers warned of the risk that people might die as a result.
The new regulations would have banned sales of tobacco to those people born after January 1, 2009, reduce nicotine content in smoked tobacco products and also decreased the number of tobacco retailers by over 90%.
New Zealand Set to Ban Tobacco Sales
The new coalition government in New Zealand confirmed the repeal will happen on Tuesday. Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced that the coalition government was dedicated to reducing smoking, but was taking a different regulatory design to discourage the habit and decrease the harm it caused.
However, the decision, criticized over its likely impact on health outcomes in the country, has also drawn flak due to fears it could have a huge impact on populations, groups with higher smoking rates.
Hoek, co-director of a group studying means to decrease smoking said that large-scale clinical trials and modelling studies suggest the legislation would have increased the rates of quitting among smokers and also made it much harder for youth to take up smoking.
