New Zealand's Government Reverses Smoking Ban to Fund Tax Cuts

New Zealand's new right-leaning coalition government, formed by the National Party, has abandoned a groundbreaking plan to outlaw smoking for future generations, which was set to start in 2027. The move, supported by the right-wing ACT and populist New Zealand First parties, is seen as a retrograde step by health experts, who argue that it will cost the country billions of dollars in healthcare. The previous Labour government had passed legislation to gradually raise the legal age for buying tobacco, but the new government plans to repeal these laws and use increased tobacco sales revenue to cut income taxes. Critics argue that the reversal will disproportionately harm New Zealand's Indigenous Maori population, who have higher smoking rates and tobacco-related illnesses.