Smoke-free generation: New Zealand to ban cigarette sales for people born after 2008

New Zealand announced on December 9, 2021, that the legal smoking age will be increased by one year every year, starting in 2027. Currently, the legal age for purchasing cigarettes is 18. The result will mean that those who are aged 14 and under today will never be legally able to buy tobacco. The government will also reduce the number of shops that can sell tobacco starting in 2024 and allow only tobacco products containing very low levels of nicotine to be sold after 2025. Creating a smoke-free generation is part of the government’s campaign to reduce the prevalence of smoking in New Zealand to less than five per cent in all population groups, which it aims to achieve by 2025.