Health experts express disapproval over New Zealand government's unexpected U-turn on smoking ban

New Zealand's new government plans to revoke the country's smoking ban in order to finance tax cuts. The ban, introduced by the previous government led by Jacinda Ardern, aimed to prohibit the sale of cigarettes to individuals born after 2008. The policy sought to prevent younger generations from taking up smoking, as it is the leading cause of preventable deaths in New Zealand. Health experts are shocked by the decision, as public health models projected that the ban would save up to 5,000 lives annually. The move has been strongly criticized by Hāpai Te Hauora, a national Māori health organization, which called it detrimental to the wellbeing of all New Zealanders. Smoking rates are particularly high among the indigenous Māori population, for whom the ban would have had a significant positive impact. The legislation also aimed to remove tobacco products from 90% of retailers and to regulate cigarettes to contain lower levels of nicotine. New Zealand's Smokefree policy had influenced the UK government to introduce a similar ban for young people in September. However, business groups and conservative lawmakers in New Zealand have consistently opposed the ban, claiming it would lead to a black market for tobacco. The new finance minister, Nicola Willis, stated that the coalition government formed by the National Party, New Zealand First, and Act had decided to repeal the laws to fund tax cuts promised during the election campaign. This announcement surprised health experts, as the National Party had not campaigned on repealing the ban. Despite winning a landslide victory in the October election, the National Party faced challenges in negotiating policy agreements with the minor parties. The government deal was finally reached on Friday after six weeks of negotiations. Health experts have criticized the decision, stating that it is shocking that tax cuts would be funded by those who continue to smoke. The Smokefree policy was projected to save NZ$1.3bn ($790m) in healthcare costs over the next two decades. New Zealand still aims to reduce its smoking rate to 5% by 2025 and ultimately eliminate smoking entirely. Over 80,000 adults have quit smoking in the past year, according to national data, but approximately 8% of the adult population still smokes.