Aotearoa New Zealand’s bold plan to introduce a smokefree generation by prohibiting the sale of smoked tobacco products to anyone born after January 1 2009, has attracted international acclaim.
However, tobacco companies, rehearsing their well-worn arguments, have claimed this measure will deprive young people of important freedoms. Having spent decades refining tobacco products to enhance their addictiveness, these companies appear to believe that protecting young people from addiction would deprive them of personal autonomy.
