As any smoker will tell you, quitting tobacco isn鈥檛 easy 鈥 and it鈥檚 something New Zealand鈥檚 new government just isn鈥檛 prepared to do right now.
A year after passing a world-leading smoking ban designed to save thousands of lives and prevent new generations of young adults from smoking, New Zealand has announced a u-turn to help pay for tax cuts, infuriating public health officials and anti-tobacco groups.
Introduced last year, the anti-smoking law banned the sale of tobacco to anyone born or after January 1, 2009.
The legislation was due to be implemented by July 2024 and would have included harsh penalties for violations such as fines of up to NZ$150,000 (US$96,000).
The country鈥檚 new Prime Minister Chris Luxon, whose conservative National Party entered a coalition alliance with the populist New Zealand First party and the libertarian ACT New Zealand party following elections in October, defended the controversial move, saying he disagreed with parts of the policy and argued that a ban would result in a black-market boom.
Luxon said smoking rates in the country had been on the decline and reiterated that he remained committed to reducing tobacco use.
Speaking to CNN affiliate Radio New Zealand, Luxon said his government would continue education programs and 鈥渆ncourage people to take up vapes as a cessation tool.鈥
New Zealand鈥檚 initial smoking ban was hailed by public health officials around the world.
Months after New Zealand鈥檚 announcement, Britain also unveiled plans to phase out smoking for new generations.
A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the British government remained committed to phasing out smoking, even after New Zealand鈥檚 reversal. 鈥淲e are committed to that,鈥 the spokesperson said. 鈥淭his is an important long term decision and step to deliver a smoke free generations.鈥
New Zealand鈥檚 new finance minister Nicola Willis on Saturday said the measures would be axed before March 2024, with revenue generated from cigarette sales going towards tax cuts.
Smoking leads to more than eight million deaths globally each year, according to the World Health Organization 鈥 with one in four people across the world using tobacco.
Smoking rates in New Zealand, already among the world鈥檚 lowest, have been falling and were at their lowest since records began, experts noted, with an estimated 56,000 smokers quitting in 2022.
New Zealand鈥檚 policy reversal drew shock and condemnation from public health officials and anti-tobacco groups, who criticized the new government for prioritizing the economy and the tobacco industry ahead of human lives.
Ayeshea Verrall, the country鈥檚 former health minister told CNN affiliate Radio New Zealand that reversing the ban 鈥渇lew in the face鈥 of the previous government and would set the country back a long way.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 going on here is that we had a set of measures that would have substantially reduced smoking, was modelled to save 80,000 lives and they鈥檝e (the new government) have reversed it 鈥 and they鈥檙e doing it just to fund tax cuts,鈥 Verrall said.
The anti-smoking group Health Coalition Aotearoa (HCA) expressed disappointment at the new coalition鈥檚 plans to repeal the smoking ban.
鈥淭his is a major loss for public health, and a huge win for the tobacco industry whose profits will be boosted at the expense of Kiwi lives,鈥 the group said in a statement, adding that there was still massive support from New Zealanders for the world-leading smoke-free amendments.
鈥淭urning the tide on harmful products that are entrenched in society cannot be done by individuals or even communities,鈥 HCA said. 鈥淚t takes good 鈥 and brave 鈥 population level policies.鈥
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