New Zealand Places Lifetime Tobacco Ban on Young People in World-1st Law

A person shows off the new rubbish bins for smokers as part of the ACC plan to keep cigarette butts off the streets, in Auckland, N.Z., on Dec. 10 2004. Michael Bradley/Getty Images

New Zealand has approved historic legislation that bans young people from buying tobacco for life as it moves toward the goal of making the country “smoke-free” by 2025.

Under the law, New Zealanders born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, will never be able to legally purchase cigarettes.