Health experts and anti-smoking activists on Monday condemned a plan by New Zealand’s newly formed government to repeal the world’s first law banning the sale of tobacco products to younger generations, Reuters reported.

The island nation’s new center-right coalition announced in its government program on Friday that it plans to reverse a package of measures passed by the Labor government led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern until January.

Labor has not recovered from Ardern’s shock resignation earlier in the year and lost the October 14 election by a wide margin. Conservative Christopher Luxon of the National Party, a right-wing political formation, was sworn in as prime minister on Monday after political talks between the parties that entered parliament in Wellington.

The most radical of the package of measures passed by the previous Ardern government was a ban on the sale of tobacco products to all people born after January 1, 2009, other measures include reducing the amount of nicotine allowed in tobacco products and a drastic reduction of more than 90% in the number of retailers. who are allowed to sell such products.

A ban on future generations buying tobacco products was also put forward in early October by the British government led by Rishi Sunak, while other countries said they were considering similar measures.

In December last year, New Zealand’s parliament passed a package of proposals to ban the sale of tobacco products to younger generations after it was unveiled by Jacinda Ardern’s government back in 2021.

Activists warn that other countries may change their mind to ban the sale of tobacco products

“This is a major loss for public health and a huge win for the tobacco industry, whose profits will grow at the expense of Kiwi lives,” said Boyd Swinburne, co-chair of the New Zealand Aotearoa Health Coalition.

The organization cites research that shows anti-smoking laws would save New Zealand’s health system $1.3 billion over 20 years. The studies in question also showed a reduction in mortality.

Sarah Jackson, senior research fellow at the Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group at University College London, warned that the Luxon government’s decision could jeopardize plans by countries that have adopted the New Zealand model to ban tobacco products.

“There is a risk that New Zealand’s U-turn will also force England’s chiefs to change their minds,” she said.

The new coalition government in Wellington has also announced it will only tax smoking products and change the rules on alternatives such as vaping products. The Luxor government has also promised to increase penalties for vendors who sell tobacco products to minors.

Nicola Willis, New Zealand’s new finance minister, said measures taken by the previous government would have significantly reduced excise revenue. But Deborah Arnott, director of the British charity ASH, says that smoking costs the public finances almost twice as much as the revenue it brings to the budget in the form of excise duty.