| Section | Link to Section |
|---|---|
| New Zealand | New Zealand: The End Of The Tobacco Control Trial Pig |
| Similar Legislation | Similar Legislation That Has Been Presented In Other Nations |
The controversial set of prohibitionist tobacco regulations that were passed last year and were set to go into effect in 2024 are to be repealed by the new administration in New Zealand. The plan calls for a reduction in nicotine levels in cigarettes to levels that are not addictive, a cap on the number of stores that are permitted to sell tobacco products, and a "smokefree generation" law.
Though they want to change the laws governing oral nicotine and smokeless tobacco, the new coalition government still plans to outlaw disposable vapes. This could lead to the legalization of nicotine pouches and snus in the future.
New Zealand: The End Of The Tobacco Control Trial Pig
Many progressive politicians and tobacco control activists support the very low nicotine (VLN) cigarette requirement and smokefree generation law that New Zealand is currently set to enact as the first of its kind in the world.
Prime Minister of the Labour Party Jacinda Ardern's pet project, the Smokefree Environments, and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill, was approved by the New Zealand Parliament in December of last year. However, Ardern resigned from government in January, and in the general election held in October, her party's majority was lost.
The most contentious parts of the tobacco bill will be removed before they go into force in July of next year, the newly formed center-right coalition government announced last week. A vote in parliament will be necessary for repeal.
Anyone born in New Zealand on or after January 1, 2009, would not be able to purchase combustible tobacco products according to the smoke-free generation rule. The very low nicotine mandate, sometimes known as "denicotinization," would prohibit the sale of cigarettes with addictive nicotine levels, even if it does not require the removal of all nicotine. There would be 600 legal tobacco outlets instead of 6,000 due to the retailer cap.
Many supporters of the Ardern government's coercive tobacco regulations acknowledge that the rules could contribute to the growth of the black market and encourage tobacco smuggling. However, some argue that the island nation's tiny population (5.1 million) and remote location make it the ideal test bed for tobacco legislation.
Similar Legislation That Has Been Presented In Other Nations
The smoke-free generation plan for England was unveiled in October by Conservative UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and it was modeled after a statute from New Zealand. The British proposal is still subject to public input, and Sunak is adamant that he plans to approve the generational ban.
A generational ban that would forbid the sale of vaping products to anyone born after 2009 is being considered in Scotland.
The "generational endgame," or GEG, was a proposed tobacco control policy in Malaysia that initially called for a generational ban on all tobacco products, including vapes. However, this month, the attorney general of the nation declared the generational ban to be unconstitutional, therefore it was removed.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US declared in June 2022 that it would implement a standard for cigarette products that would cap the amount of nicotine to levels below those that would be considered addictive. Although they are already on the market in the United States, so-called "very low nicotine" (VLN) cigarettes are not well-liked. VLN cigarettes contain roughly 5% of the nicotine found in a typical commercial cigarette.
