A historic smoke-free bill to ban smoking for the next generation has had its first reading in New Zealand, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Proposed legislation announced last year would ban people born after January 1, 2009, from buying tobacco products.

The plan is part of an effort to reduce daily smoking rates to below 5 per cent for all New Zealanders by 2025. In 2019-2020, it was 13.4%.

The bill, introduced by the Labour Party, has received broad support in Parliament.

The only voice outright against it was the ACT party, with health spokeswoman Brooke Van Velden saying the ban would only fuel the black market.

Critics say the measure could fuel an already growing black market for cigarettes, and people need more support to make the transition to vaping.

The Ministry of Health also acknowledges this. Its regulatory impact statement said the illicit market was already growing and policy changes could exacerbate this.

The government aims to pass the bill by December, meaning under all plans, 14-year-olds will be banned from buying tobacco by 2023.