Government to ban tobacco sales to young people for their lifetime in first-ever 'smokefree generation'

Anyone aged 14 or under will never be able to legally buy tobacco for the rest of their lives when a new law takes effect under the Government's smokefree plan.

The Government will ban young people from ever being able to purchase tobacco in their lives under world-leading plans to make New Zealand smokefree.

Older generations will only be able to buy tobacco products with very low-levels of nicotine, and fewer shops will be able to sell tobacco products, Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall announced as part of the new Smokefree 2025 action plan at Parliament on Thursday.

“We want to make sure young people never start smoking so we will make it an offence to sell or supply smoke tobacco products to new cohorts of young people,” she said. “People aged 14 when the law comes into effect will never be able to legally purchase tobacco.”

More is needed to be done to stop young people from taking up smoking in the first place and to make it less addictive and appealing, she said.

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Robert Charles/Stuff 11012015 News photo: Robert Charles/Fairfax NZ. Generic file. Cigarettes. Smoking. Smokes. Tobacco. Cancer. Quitting.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in New Zealand and causes one in four cancers.

“While smoking rates are heading in the right direction, we need to do more, faster to reach our goal,” Verrall said.

“If nothing changes, it would be decades before Māori smoking rates fall below 5 per cent and this Government is not prepared to leave anyone behind.”

There will be an estimated $5 billion in savings on future health expenditure as a result of the plans, she said.

Some decisions in the plan are non-legislative, such as practical support measures for smokers, but others will require amendments to existing legislation – expected to be passed next year.

This includes moves to ensure smoked tobacco products will only be sold by authorised retailers, that only smoked tobacco products with very low nicotine levels will be allowed for manufacture, importation, distribution and sale, and plans to restrict design measures aimed to enhance the appeal and addictiveness of smoked products.

As many as 8000 retailers sell tobacco now, but this will be cut down to about 500 under the new rules – meaning 7500 will have to transition to a new business model, she said.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff Associate health minister Ayesha Verrall announced the new smokefree action plan in Parliament.

Dairy owners facing loss of income after losing tobacco sales won’t be compensated, she added.

Legislators will also “think very carefully” about how the laws will be enforced to stop an illicit tobacco market forming.

“We will need to enforce it, and we will need to resource enforcement at the border and in the community.”

The Government will also set up a Māori advisory taskforce with a focus on achieving better outcomes for Māori, chaired by Dame Tariana Turia, and to hold the Ministry of Health, Government and tobacco control sector to account over the plan.

A Pacific advisory group will also be established in the new year.

New Zealand Medical Association chair Dr Alistair Humphrey said ​the policy would be a “defining moment” for respiratory health.

“Cigarette smoking kills 14 New Zealanders every day and two out of three smokers will die as a result of smoking. We believe that this action plan offers some hope of realising our 2025 Smokefree Aotearoa goal, and keeping our tamariki smokefree,” he said.

Health Coalition Aotearoa smokefree expert advisory group chair Sally Liggins said ​the Government’s response showed courage and was an “unprecedented win” for the health of New Zealanders.

"Once these measures are implemented, cigarettes will no longer be addictive and will reduce the number of young people who start smoking," she said.

Collin Tukuitonga, associate dean Pacific at the University of Auckland’s faculty of medical and health sciences, said ​the Government should be commended on the new measures, while preventative actions should be focused on Māori and Pacific communities.

“It is important that a focus on these efforts should be in neighbourhoods where Māori and Pacific people live. Experience with the Covid-19 vaccination rollout has reminded us of the importance and impact of community-led events,” he said.