New Zealand: Government Urgently Passes Amendments to the Smoke-Free Act
According to Seesmo from New Zealand's National Radio, the New Zealand government urgently passed the Smoke-Free Environment and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (Second Edition) on December 13, announcing a full ban on the production, sale, supply, and distribution of single-use e-cigarettes, along with stronger regulatory measures for the sale of e-cigarettes. These new regulations will come into effect in six months, providing a transition period for retailers to adjust to the policy changes.
The main contents of the amendment bill include:
A ban on the production, sale, supply, and distribution of single-use e-cigarettes;
An increase in the maximum fine for the illegal sale of regulated products to minors, from NZD 10,000 to NZD 100,000;
Stricter retail display restrictions for e-cigarette products, requiring that they must not be visible from outside the store;
Tighter distance requirements for specialist e-cigarette retailers, who must be at least 100 meters away from child care facilities and maintain a 300-meter distance from schools and Māori community centers (marae).