STORY: Anyone born in New Zealand on or after January 1, 2009 will never be able to legally buy cigarettes in the country itself. Wellington Parliament passed a new tobacco law on Tuesday that does just that. The law is therefore a role model for the rest of the world. The country wants to be smoke-free by 2025. Ayesha Verrall, Deputy Secretary of Health “There is no good reason to allow a product that kills half the people who use it. And I can tell you that if we pass this legislation we will put an end to that in the future. This law will create a generational shift and leave a legacy of better health for our youth. It will reduce hospitalizations and reduce the burden of smoking-related diseases. It will save thousands of lives and bring billions to the future healthcare system.” Already only adults over the age of 18 can legally buy cigarettes in New Zealand.