New Zealand’s world-leading phase-out of smoking won’t affect heated tobacco

A new law preventing those now under the age of 14 from ever obtaining conventional cigarettes in New Zealand will have little impact on heated tobacco in the country as the product and other reduced-risk alternatives are not included in the ban.

Pouches are already banned in the country. But despite the effort to crack down on youth smoking, the authorities will still permit access to other types of tobacco product in what is either a gross oversight or a nod to harm reduction as a policy – depending on who you believe.