Anyone born after 2008 will not be able to buy cigarettes or tobacco products in their lifetime, under a law expected to be enacted next year.
"We want to make sure young people never start smoking," Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verall said.
The move is part of a sweeping crackdown on smoking announced by New Zealand's health ministry on Thursday.
Doctors and other health experts in the country have welcomed the "world-leading" reforms, which will reduce access to tobacco and restrict nicotine levels in cigarettes.
Verwandt.
This is a draconian law being introduced by socialists. Should we be surprised? Socialists have got a nasty habit of wanting to legislate for everything. They love to ban this and ban that. It must be something in their DNA, I suppose.
I would say that this law, in the long-run, is unworkable. First of all, it is going to be fodder for an underworld of cheap, illicit imports; but more than this, there are many unanswered questions. For example, what happens when someone born after 2008 goes abroad to work as an ex-pat and takes up the smoking habit? What will happen to him/her upon return to New Zealand? If the ex-pat becomes ‘addicted’ to smoking whilst working abroad, he or she will face a dilemma when the tour of duty is over: Either keep on smoking and stay away from the homeland, or return home and struggle to live without cigarettes.
Apart from being draconian and undemocratic, this law is also bonkers! I despair of meddlesome politicians. – © Mark
