New Zealand’s government introduced its plan to ban tobacco, and it wants to completely eliminate smoking in the future.
The plan says that it will not be possible to buy cigarettes in supermarkets or small businesses after the year 2027. The government hopes that young people will not smoke cigarettes at all.
The Maori population also has problems. They smoke much more than the rest of the people in the country, and they have more health problems related to smoking cigarettes. 13% of adults in New Zealand smoke; about 30% of the Maori people smoke. They have more health problems because of this.
Some experts believe that the law will help people to quit smoking or switch to less harmful products, and make it much less likely that young people get addicted to nicotine. However, others have warned that the changes may create illegal trading for tobacco, and the government will need more resources to enforce border control.