Market & legal data of the tobacco alternative sector in Australasia

18th December 2024: New Zealand: On 16th December 2024, The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill received royal assent. As of 17th December, penalties for breaking the law have been increased, new specialist stores will need to have zoning restrictions, and all retailers of smokeless products must notify the Ministry of Health that they are selling such products. As of 17th June 2025, retail visibility restrictions will enter into force.
13th December 2024: New Zealand: The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill was adopted in the third and final reading. The main changes expected are zoning restrictions for specialist stores, increased penalties for breaking the law, and retail visibility restrictions. The bill must now be given the royal assent. The zoning restrictions and increased penalties will come into force the day after the royal assent, and the retail visibility restrictions will come into force six months afterwards.
27th November 2024: New Zealand: The minister of health has published an action plan “Getting to Smokefree 2025: The final push to achieve the Smokefree 2025 goal”, which sets a target of a smoking prevalence of less than 5% for all population groups (with a smoking rate now of 6.9% in 2023/24). The document states that there are other products on the market aside from vapes that could help achieve the smoke-free goals, and the government will work to determine which products could be introduced. The expansion option is expected to take place between January and March 2025. Although not specifically mentioned, this could potentially mean the legalisation of oral products, including nicotine pouches.
20th November 2024: New Zealand: The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill, expected to come into force in November, was adopted in the second reading last week. The main changes expected are zoning restrictions for specialist stores, increased penalties for breaking the law, and retail visibility restrictions. The zoning restrictions and increased penalties will come into force once the bill is approved, and the retail visibility restrictions will come into force six months afterwards. The bill is currently awaiting its third reading.
5th November 2024: New Zealand: The Ministry of Health has published the upcoming changes to the vaping and tobacco laws that are being discussed in Parliament through the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill, expected to come into force in November. The main changes are zoning restrictions to specialist stores, increasing penalties for breaking the law and retail visibility restrictions. The zoning restrictions and increased penalties will come into force once the bill is approved, and the retail visibility will come into force six months after. The bill is currently waiting for its second reading.
24th October 2024: New Zealand: Following a tax cut of 50% on heated tobacco products (HTPs) in July, the opposition Labour party has asked the auditor-general to investigate health and customs minister Casey Costello over an alleged link to the tobacco industry, press reports. Costello said the tax cut was to encourage chronic smokers to switch, since HTPs have a similar risk profile to vapes. The government added that the tax cut was a one-year trial to determine whether it helps people to quit smoking.
8th October 2024: New Zealand: Health authorities have told TobaccoIntelligence that the requirements for selling reusable vaping products with removable batteries and child-safety mechanisms, which entered into force on 1st October 2024, also apply to heated tobacco devices, as they are classified as vaping devices.
2nd October 2024: New Zealand: The requirements for selling reusable vaping products that have removable batteries and child-safety mechanisms, which entered into force on 1st October 2024, would allegedly apply to heated tobacco products (HTPs), press reports. As heated tobacco devices are classified as vape devices, any products without a removable battery would not be compliant. As Philip Morris has a monopoly with its Iqos products, the press has seen emails to suppliers saying that Iqos is “unavailable for purchase due to a regulatory change on 1 October 2024 affecting vaping devices”. TobaccoIntelligence is speaking to the relevant authorities for further clarification.
27th September 2024: New Zealand: The parliament has extended the deadline for public submissions on the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No. 2) to 4th October. The bill seeks to increase fines for sales of heated tobacco products (HTPs) to under-18s. It is under analysis by the Health Committee, which will gather information and prepare a report on the bill.
25th September 2024: New Zealand: In a forum organised by Health Coalition Aotearoa, associate health minister Casey Costello said they are committed to achieving the Smokefree 2025 target of less than 5% smokers, and to do this they “have to be anti-smoking, not necessarily anti-nicotine”, press reports. She also added that they have accepted that “using a safer form of nicotine is an important tool in getting people on the pathway to stop smoking tobacco. This is from nicotine patches through to vaping.”
13th September 2024: New Zealand: The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No. 2) has been agreed on a first reading by the parliament. The bill increases fines for sales of heated tobacco products (HTPs) to under-18s. It was referred to the Health Committee, which will gather information and prepare a report on the bill. Public submissions will be open until 27th September.
12th September 2024: New Zealand: The government has introduced the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2), which aims to tackle youth vaping. Although the bill mainly focuses on vaping products, it also increases fines for sales of heated tobacco products to under-18s. Minister of health Casey Costello said that the next steps in the government’s smoke-free programme would be updating and strengthening the regulation of vaping and other nicotine products.

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