NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand has recently decided to ban the sale of tobacco to its next generation in a bid to eliminate smoking eventually.
Under a law expected to be enforced next year, individuals born after 2008 will not buy cigarettes or tobacco products throughout their lives.
The move is part of a sweeping crackdown on smoking announced by New Zealand's health ministry. However, it met with mixed reactions.
New Zealand took this step with a determination to achieve a national goal of reducing its smoking rate to 5 per cent by 2025 and eventually eliminating it.
Currently, 13 per cent of New Zealand's adults smoke, with the rate much higher among the Maori population. However, this indigenous population also suffers a higher rate of disease and mortalities.
