New Zealand to Reverse Generational Smoking Ban

Facts

• New Zealand's newly-formed coalition government has revealed that it intends to reverse legislation introduced under former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to ban cigarette sales in 2024 to individuals born after 2008.¹
• Luxon's coalition government, which was sworn in on Monday, has stated its desire to repeal anti-smoking amendments — which also included limiting the amount of nicotine in cigarettes, as well as a reduction of tobacco retailers from 6K to 600 — by March 2024.²
• Prime Minister Christopher Luxon explained the decision, warning that the Ardern-era policy could lead to an 'increased black market' while realities of practical enforcement posed some 'issues.'³
• Nicola Willis, New Zealand's new minister of finance, has also claimed that the policy would have reduced tax revenues. Smoked products will be taxed, while disposable vapes will be banned alongside greater penalties for those who sell to underage customers.⁴
• Willis continued that the legislation would have had a 'significant' impact on 'government books,' while Health Coalition Aotearoa had estimated that the laws would have saved $1.2B in health system costs over a period of 20 years.⁵
• Meanwhile, according to British American Tobacco, the tobacco industry makes the largest financial contribution to New Zealand's economy, claiming it brings in over $1.2B every year.⁶

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²NPR Online News, ³NZ Herald, ⁴Reuters, ⁵ABC and ⁶CNA.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Daily News & News Monitor. The prohibition of substances never works, and New Zealand's smoking ban was a poor decision in the first place. Those who couldn't have legally purchased cigarettes would have accessed them regardless, and the country's black market would've inevitably grown. While the government may have found alternatives to provide meaningful tax cuts, the reversal of cigarette prohibition kills two birds with one stone.
• Narrative B, as provided by Firstpost. This decision prioritizes short-term funding over the long-term health of the country. With New Zealand's health services losing out on at least hundreds of millions of savings over the next two decades, as well as approximately 5K deaths a year no longer predicted to be prevented, the nation's younger generation is destined to bear the brunt of this poor decision later down the line.

Predictions