Which of the following country decided in 2023 to abandon its groundbreaking law aimed at banning smoking?

New Zealand

The country that decided in 2023 to abandon its groundbreaking law aimed at banning smoking was New Zealand.

Their Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoking) Amendment Act 2020, enacted in 2020, set out a bold plan to gradually raise the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products, ultimately making it illegal for anyone born after 2004 to ever buy tobacco. This was seen as a world-leading anti-smoking initiative.

However, in November 2023, the newly elected New Zealand government led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon decided to repeal the law entirely. This move generated significant controversy, with public health experts and anti-smoking advocates criticizing the decision as a major setback in the fight against tobacco use.

The reasons cited by the government for repealing the law included concerns about its effectiveness, potential negative impacts on small businesses, and a desire to focus on other public health priorities.