New Zealand Bans Smoking Forever

New Zealand Bans Smoking Forever. Future generations of New Zealanders have been banned from purchasing tobacco as part of a package of new anti-smoking laws that have passed the nation's parliament.

Key points:

• The new ban is a part of the New Zealand government's push to make the country "smoke free" by 2025
• NZ's ACT Party said the ban would create a large black market
• The number of adult New Zealand smokers fell by half over the past decade 

The suite of new laws, which are among the strictest in the world, include bans on selling tobacco to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, punishable by fines up to NZ$150,000 ($141,744).

The ban will remain in place for a person's whole life.

The legislation will also reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in smoked tobacco products and cut the number of retailers able to sell tobacco by 90 per cent. 

Retailers licensed to sell tobacco will be cut from 6,000 to 600 by the end of 2023.

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