New Zealand: New Zealand will ban the sale of tobacco to children under 14

Wellington (New Zealand), 9 (DPA/EUROPA Press)

New Zealand announced on Wednesday that it will ban people under the age of 14 from buying tobacco, a law that must be approved by Parliament before it becomes effective and that is part of the smoke control that the New Zealand state has been practicing. Since 2011.

“We want to make sure that young people never start smoking, so from now on it will be a crime to sell or supply tobacco-related products to young people under the age of 14,” Deputy Health Minister Aisha Feral said. which described the procedure as “historic”.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Health has launched a campaign to create a smoke-free environment by 2025 that promises to address the harm that smoking has done to the people of New Zealand, which causes one in four deaths in the country and is more common in Maori, Pacific and low-income communities. .

“If the situation does not change, it will be decades until the smoking rate in the Maori community drops by five percent,” said Feral, who also explained that “by preventing people from starting smoking and helping those who smoke to quit is covering both ends of the spectrum.” “.

With this law, despite the fact that young people will be able to buy tobacco only with low doses of nicotine and few stores will be able to provide it.