The conservative government of New Zealand has been criticized by doctors for revoking world-leading anti-smoking laws. Public health experts are warning that the move will lead to unnecessary deaths and have called it an act of “public health vandalism.”
Under former prime minister Jacinda Ardern, the country had passed a suite of anti-smoking measures and was praised as a global leader in the fight against Big Tobacco. However, the new prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has overturned these laws on his first day in office, much to the dismay of public health experts and professionals.
The repeal of the “generational smoking ban” and other innovative measures has left many experts shocked and appalled. They fear that the reputation of New Zealand as a world leader in public health has been tarnished and that the country is squandering a huge opportunity. The move has global implications and has been described as disastrous and terrible.
The decision to overturn the anti-smoking laws has puzzled experts, especially since smoking was not a major issue during the recent general election campaign. Some have speculated that the government may be motivated by the tax revenue promised by cigarette sales.
Overall, the move has been met with widespread criticism from the public health community, who argue that it will have a detrimental effect on reducing smoking rates and could disproportionately impact the Indigenous Maori population.