New Zealand is mulling new strict tobacco control laws. According to the British "Guardian" report on the 27th, the draft tobacco control bill released by the New Zealand government on July 26 proposed some new tobacco control measures that are regarded as "world's first", including continuously raising the legal age for consumers to buy cigarettes and significantly reducing tobacco. The nicotine content in the products, and restricting the sale of tobacco products only in specialized tobacco shops, banning the tobacco counters in street shops or supermarkets, etc. The Tobacco Control Bill has passed the first reading in the parliament and has the support of the overwhelming majority of parties. If all goes well, the tobacco control legislation is expected to be implemented next year.
A senior official of the New Zealand Ministry of Health said that the current regulation of tobacco in New Zealand is looser than that of sandwich food safety. It is worth noting that the above legislation only targets traditional tobacco products, not e-cigarettes. Although lawmakers from most parties support the new tobacco control law, some lawmakers said that some of the measures proposed by the new tobacco control law are pioneered in New Zealand and have not been implemented in other countries. The specific effect is unknown. In particular, the banning of existing tobacco sales points may lead to the problem of the tobacco industry turning into an underground black market.