New Zealand’s Government has passed some of the strictest smoking laws in the world that ban future generations from taking up the habit. The legislation forbids the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, punishable by fines up to $95,910. It also reduces the amount of nicotine allowed and will slash the number of tobacco retailers from 6,000 to 600 by the end of 2023. Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall says, “people will live longer, healthier lives”, and the health system will save billions. And the move will particularly help ​​Māori people, who are nearly 3 times as likely to smoke. It’s part of a push to make the country “smoke-free” by 2025, but critics say it will encourage a black market. The restrictions will not apply to vape products, which are as popular there as they are around the world, especially with young people.