New Zealand’s Government Moving Forward With Generational Tobacco Ban Repeal

New Zealand’s government signaled that it was moving forward with plans to repeal the country’s upcoming generational tobacco ban.

Last year, the new coalition government announced that it would repeal the country’s Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill, which would have made it illegal for anyone born after Jan. 1, 2009 to purchase tobacco products in New Zealand, a type of regulation known as a generational tobacco ban. The new government is led by the National Party and New Zealand First, a right-wing coalition that succeeded Jacinda Ardern’s government, which was left-leaning.

In addition, the law also restricted the number of retailers that could sell tobacco and vaping products from 6,000 to 600 and introduced nicotine limits for cigarettes.

Formally, the repeal will be put in front of New Zealand’s parliament without public comment.

While it will roll back various tobacco and vaping laws, the government plans on introducing new laws banning disposable vaping products and increasing the fines for those caught selling to anyone under the age of 18-years-old.

Hong Kong and the United Kingdom are currently planning generational tobacco bans of their own.