'Lifetime Smoking Ban from 2010 Born' Strong Anti-Smoking Law Proposed but... New Zealand Withdraws Due to Tax Shortfall

Toward Repeal of World's Strongest Smoking Regulations
"Smoking Ban to Be Abolished to Secure Tax Reduction Funds"

The conservative coalition government in New Zealand, which returned to power after six years, is reversing the policies of the previous administration, and is expected to repeal the anti-smoking law promoted by the former progressive government.

On the 27th (local time), the British daily The Guardian reported that New Zealand's new conservative coalition government plans to repeal the anti-smoking law to secure funds for tax cuts.

Christopher Luxon, New Zealand's New Prime Minister
[Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]

Last year, the previous Labour government of New Zealand announced a strong anti-smoking law that would create a "smoke-free generation" by banning the sale of cigarettes for life to those born after 2009, who will become adults in 2027.

They also planned to reduce the number of tobacco retailers to about 10% of the current level and lower the allowable nicotine content in cigarettes. This was regarded as one of the world's strictest smoking regulations.

This law, which was scheduled to take effect in July next year, was scrapped after the conservative coalition government, which came to power in last month's general election, agreed to repeal it.

Newly appointed New Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis said on the 25th that the anti-smoking law would be repealed before March next year, and that revenue from cigarette sales would help the coalition's tax cuts.

Minister Willis also appeared on local broadcasts and stated that limiting the number of stores selling cigarettes would significantly reduce government revenue.

Newly appointed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said that repealing the anti-smoking law would prevent the emergence of an underground cigarette market and protect tobacco retailers from becoming targets of crime.

He stated that instead of the anti-smoking law, smoking rates would be reduced through education and other smoking-related policies.

Prime Minister Luxon emphasized on Radio New Zealand (RNZ), "Concentrating cigarette distribution in just one store in a small town would become a huge magnet for crime."

However, public health experts expressed concerns that repealing the anti-smoking law could result in up to 5,000 deaths annually, and would be particularly harmful to the indigenous M?ori population, who have higher smoking rates.

Professor Lisa Te Morenga, chair of the non-governmental organization Aotearoa Health Coalition, criticized the repeal of the anti-smoking law, saying, "It is a major loss for public health and will be a great benefit to the tobacco industry, which seeks profit even at the expense of New Zealanders' lives."

Professor Te Morenga presented research findings indicating that if the anti-smoking law were implemented, it would save NZD 1.3 billion (approximately KRW 1 trillion 30 billion) in healthcare costs over the next 20 years and reduce female mortality by 22% and male mortality by 9%.

Over the past year, more than 80,000 adults in New Zealand have quit smoking. Currently, the adult smoking rate in New Zealand is about 8%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.