Under 14s in NZ to be banned from ever buying cigarettes in their lifetime

[Shouldiwearmyhairinaponytail]

metro.co.uk/2021/12/09/new-zealand-bans-people-14-and-under-from-ever-buying-cigarettes-15743607/

Thoughts?

Brilliant idea, smoking causes so much harm, not only to those who smoke either.

JA is such a leader, inspirational, unlike our PM.

Seems a good idea, but I don’t 100% understand it

Is it anyone under 14 today, like this specific day, or under 14 whenever the law comes into force? I know this doesn’t matter but I want to understand it!

I agree it certainly does, but then I think, what’s next? Alcohol, fast food ?

Interesting. Phasing out by age.

I think it’s a great idea.

I also don’t fully understand it 100% in terms of when it starts or how it works..

They’ll probably go by the 1st of January. So anyone born on or after the 1st of January 2008. Or something like that

So when checking ID you just have to check the date of birth is 2007 or before

So eventually nobody will be able to buy cigarettes regardless of their age.. or am I just misunderstanding

Like I say where do you draw the line. Will it eventually be all junk food too and alcohol?

I think teens of today are far less likely to smoke today anyway
But I do wonder how this will play out will it not just lead to people buying illegal tobacco , cigarettes ?

Great idea, in theory at least.

Will be interesting for foreign (to NZ) young people who may decide not to go there if they smoke? But I guess fewer and fewer youngsters smoke anyway, and you could just bring your own in.

But basically I think phasing it out like this is a good idea

Ardern is a fanatic who wants to impose her own values on the people of NZ regardless of what they want.

She has been a disaster and will be gone soon.

Because banning stuff works so well.

Prohibition works
War on drugs etc...

This is a terrible thing - the only thing that banning stuff does is lead to criminality. Banning something gives it a power it would not otherwise have.

But they’re not talking about junk food and alcohol - it’s cigarettes. You can’t enjoy cigarettes in moderation - they’re bad for you full stop.

I think they’re drawing the line at cigarettes. And illegal cigarettes might become an issue but it’s quite hard to smuggle stuff into an island like NZ. Everything has to come through an airport or commercial sea port.

@Shouldiwearmyhairinaponytail

So eventually nobody will be able to buy cigarettes regardless of their age.. or am I just misunderstanding

Yes, I think that's the idea. So only people born before 2008 will be able to buy it, and gradually they will die out and there will be no one left who can buy it. The way it's phrased in the article, about the minimum age constantly rising, isn't great, but in other news coverage it's clearer.

I don't know if it'll work, but it's definitely worth trying. Smoking is a scourge.

@Shouldiwearmyhairinaponytail

So eventually nobody will be able to buy cigarettes regardless of their age.. or am I just misunderstanding

That's the idea. So if they say nobody born after 1 Jan 2008 can buy cigarettes, that date remains set in stone.

Older smokers die off, eventually you reach a stage in the distant future where every person is born after 1 Jan 2008 and therefore nobody can legally buy fags.

@LarryTheLurker

Ardern is a fanatic who wants to impose her own values on the people of NZ regardless of what they want.

She has been a disaster and will be gone soon.

Really? she and her party have poll ratings why ahead of the opposition and at 41% is at a level our political leaders would love to have.

The next NZ GE is in 2 years time.

Its tough for NZ coming out of LD and CV.

I think banning smoking for teenagers is great idea, alcohol is banned in this country for u18's

South Africa banned the sale of alcohol for the entire nation during the first lockdown so nothing really surprises me anymore..

Smoking is a vile habit, but….

If they ban cigarettes are they going to ban vaping as well? Even though there are potentially still long-term effects from it which are unknown?

Tobacco brings in billions in tax every year, where’s that shortfall going to be made up?

I agree that of all the countries that could try something like this, an island nation like NZ is a brilliant guinea pig. They've already proved with covid that they can more or less completely close their borders when necessary (in a way that the UK can't because of the reliance on overland freight), so in theory they should be able to control what comes in to the country illegally pretty tightly and prevent a large black market.

alcohol is banned in this country for u18's

And no under 18 year old ever drinks. It works so well!