The Government's plan to stop young Kiwis from smoking has been labelled "radical" and part of a "war on tobacconists" by some international media outlets.
Dr Ayesha Verrall, the Associate Health Minister, on Thursday outlined a new Smokefree 2025 action plan at an event in Parliament. The centrepiece of the initiative is prohibiting Kiwis aged under 14 when legislation is introduced from ever being able to legally purchase cigarettes. Every year, the age to purchase smokes will increase, meaning eventually they will be impossible to buy altogether.
"Smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in New Zealand and causes one in four cancers," Dr Verrall said on Thursday, "Smoking-related harm is particularly prevalent in our Māori, Pacific and low-income communities.
"While smoking rates are heading in the right direction, we need to do more, faster to reach our goal. If nothing changes, it would be decades till Māori smoking rates fall below 5 percent, and this Government is not prepared to leave people behind."
The announcement has made its way around the world, with international media picking up on it late on Thursday and overnight.
In a piece titled 'New Zealand to ban cigarettes for future generations', the BBC said the plan to ban tobacco sales to the next generation was "part of a sweeping crackdown on smoking" by the Government. It noted that while health professionals have welcomed the announcement, dairy owners say it will lead to an explosion in black-market sales.
While focused on the ban for the next generation, pieces from the BBC and others like The Guardian and CNN also stated that the Government was introducing other measures, such as reducing the legal amount of nicotine in tobacco products and limiting the stores where they can be sold.
Wire service Reuters described New Zealand's move as "one of the world's toughest crackdowns on the tobacco industry".
"The package of measures will make New Zealand's retail tobacco industry one of the most restricted in the world, just behind Bhutan where cigarette sales are banned outright. New Zealand's neighbour Australia was the first country in the world to mandate plain packaging of cigarettes in 2012."
Bhutan, which implemented its prohibition law in 2004, has seen a "thriving black market" emerge, according to a 2020 World Health Organization report.
"Shops that thrive on illicit sale of tobacco and its products have found a way around the law. A steady stream of loyal customers continue to sustain these shops that have, over the years, grown into a network of black market."
Another report from 2011 says illegal tobacco smuggling, including black market sales, remains "robust".
ACT's Karen Chhour, the party's social development spokesperson, says prohibition never works and always has unintended consequences.
"This will drive up the trade of black market tobacco with high nicotine, driving those addicted to cigarettes to turn to crime to feed their habit. The gangs will be rubbing their hands with glee. What’s happened in Bhutan just proves that."
In response to concerns about a black market, Dr Verrall said on Thursday that New Zealand would have "strong enforcement".
The Reuters article included quotes from stock analyst Owen Bennett from investment firm Jefferies. He said New Zealand's actions may act as a "template" for other countries to follow. But he didn't think it would have much of a "near-term impact on tobacco groups".
"It will be minimal, in our view. New Zealand is a very small market," he is quoted as saying.
Other media outlets took a more sensational approach, stating in their headlines that smoking was to be "completely banned in New Zealand" as the British website Cheshire Live website did. It referred to New Zealand in the second instance as the "Land of the Long White Cloud".
The Daily Mail Australia also said "New Zealand BANS smoking", referring to the proposed legislation as "radical" and questioning if Australia would follow suit. Another Daily Mail piece explained "how Jacinda Ardern's smoking ban is a war on tobacconists" and said it will "force 7500 businesses to find a new way of making money amid fears the tobacco black market will explode".
Also going with the "radical" description was news.com.au, which said New Zealand "has made a huge move to wipe out smoking entirely". Yahoo Australia also called it "radical" and "bold".
