New Zealand's new coalition government has created a storm by scrapping laws banning the sale of tobacco products to future generations. The legislation was introduced by the previous labour government and was hailed as a world-first. It aimed to make the country smoke-free by 2025. Health experts have warned the change will cause thousands of deaths every year. 

CHRISTOPHER LUXON Prime Minister of New Zealand "I Christopher Mark Luxon swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his Majesty King Charles III."

Within days of being sworn in as New Zealand's forty-second Prime Minister, Chris Luxon sparked outrage in the health sector by lifting a ban on the sale of tobacco products to teenagers.

BEN YOUDAN Action for Smokefree 2025 "The reality is, almost everybody knows, smoking kills. They know it's bad for you. We've known that for 50 years."

However the Government says that tobacco consumption has halved over the past decade to only 8 percent of the population, and there are better ways to reduce smoking.

CHRISTOPHER LUXON Prime Minister of New Zealand "We've seen smoking rates come down across multiple generations of government. We expect that to continue. We have strong education campaigns."

And retailers are celebrating. The ban would have reduced the number of nationwide tobacco outlets, like convenience stores, from six thousand to just 600. But shopkeepers feared it would also make them a target for robberies and violence.

SUNNY KAUSHAL Chairperson, Dairy and Business Owners Group "They would become the serious targets for criminals. They would probably have to install the bulletproof glasses."

OWEN POLAND Auckland "The decision to scrap the smoke free laws is part of the new Coalition Government's 100-day plan to rebuild the economy. But, removing the ban on smoking will also raise an extra one billion dollars a year in tobacco duties to help pay for promised tax cuts."

The Government says it plans to promote vaping as the main tool to reduce adult smoking rates, but anti-smoking campaigners want to reduce youth vaping, not increase it.

BEN YOUDAN Action for Smokefree 2025 "And it's not the only thing that's going to get our smoking rates down from around that 8 per cent that we have now to the five percent which is the goal by 2025. We do need other policies and other interventions with people."

However retailers say they can be part of a "market-led solution" to achieve New Zealand's smoke-free ambitions.

SUNNY KAUSHAL Chairperson, Dairy and Business Owners Group "The worker or the dairy owner should be able to talk to you, telling that you know, here is a solution or these vapes are available which can help you quitting smoking."

An open letter from health professionals published in the country's biggest-selling newspaper says that changing the Smokefree Law is immoral, but the Prime Minister it's about reducing regulation.

CHRISTOPHER LUXON Prime Minister of New Zealand "We now have a responsibility to deliver for New Zealanders, to give them clear, demonstrable and measurable improvement in the quality of their life." 

The question now is whether that also means that more lives will be lost to smoking. 

Owen Poland, CGTN, Auckland.