New Zealand close to achieving tobacco-free generation goal by 2025

In June 2022, the New Zealand Government introduced a bill to Parliament to end the tobacco epidemic by 2025. If passed, New Zealand will have by far the most comprehensive tobacco control policy in history. It will also be the first country to achieve a tobacco-free generation.

The first reading in Parliament of the bill on tobacco-free environments and regulated products (smoked tobacco) a take place this Tuesday, July 26, 2022. It will then be submitted for examination to the special health committee, before returning to the House at the end of 2022 to be able to be adopted as law.

The goal of a tobacco-free generation by 2025

The government aims to reduce daily smoking to less than 5% in all population groups by 2025.

Although smoking rates have declined across the population, inequalities remain. Māori, Pacific people and people living in the most deprived areas of New Zealand continue to have higher smoking rates. These populations also suffer higher rates of illness and death. Currently, 13.4% of all New Zealanders (aged 15+) smoke. This is as high as 31% among Māori.

Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 sets out a number of measures that aim to influence consumer behaviour and also change the smoking environment. Changes to the law are needed to address the remaining gaps in product regulation in New Zealand.

Three key strategies for achieving a tobacco-free generation

The new provisions included in the bill will allow the introduction of a tobacco-free generation policy in prohibiting the sale of smoked tobacco and nicotine products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. The goal is to prevent young people, and future generations, from starting to smoke. Currently, only two cities - Balanga City in the Philippines and Brookline, Massachusetts - have adopted such a policy. Malaysia plans to do so for everyone born after 2005.

A specific provision will allow limits to be set on the amount of nicotine. (similar to theannouncement of the Biden administration in June 2022). But also on other constituents present in smoked tobacco products. The objective of this measure is primarily to help young people remain non-smokers, by making smoked tobacco products both less attractive and less addictive. But also to increase the number of smokers who successfully quit smoking.

Finally, the sale of tobacco and nicotine products will be reserved for retailers approved by the Director General of Health. The latter will set a maximum number of authorized retail premises per zone. This measure will thus make it possible to drastically reduce the number of points of sale across the country (up to 95%).

These legislative changes are mutually reinforcing and should deliver the substantial changes needed to achieve a tobacco-free generation and, in turn, improve the health of all New Zealanders.

Keywords: New Zealand, tobacco-free generation, 2025

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AE

National Committee Against Smoking |