New Zealand has passed a law that makes it illegal for anyone born after Jan. 1, 2009, to ever buy tobacco, including cigarettes.
“Thousands of people will live longer, healthier lives and the health system will be $5 billion better off from not needing to treat the illnesses caused by smoking,” Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said after the law passed on Tuesday Dec. 13.
The law aims to make smoking less affordable and accessible.
It will also reduce the amount of nicotine in tobacco products and prohibit them from being sold at supermarkets and corner shops, making them only available in specialty tobacco stores.
The law is part of the government’s plan to make New Zealand smokefree by 2025.
