On December 13, New Zealand passed legislation to raise the smoking age year by year, according to the Guardian UK
The law restricts the legal purchase of cigarettes to those born on or after January 1, 2009 (those currently aged 14 and under) and is expected to come into effect in 2023.
This is the first law in the world to legislate against smoking for the next generation.
In addition to limiting the age of smoking, New Zealand will also significantly reduce the nicotine content of cigarettes and force cigarettes to be sold only through specialty tobacco stores.
However, these regulations only apply to tobacco products.
E-cigarettes are still legal for now.
According to Statistics New Zealand, 8 percent of New Zealand adults smoke daily, down from 16 percent a decade ago.
Meanwhile, 8.3 percent of adults smoke e-cigarettes every day, compared to less than 1 percent six years ago.
Ayesha Verrall, New Zealand’s deputy minister of health, said the burden on the health system would be reduced by not having to treat diseases caused by smoking, such as various cancers, heart disease, stroke and amputations.
