Public health vandalism: new Government scraps world-leading smokefree legislation

In one of its first acts, the new Government announced its intention to repeal the 2022Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Act (SERPA) and overturn its three key measures: mandated de-nicotinisation of smoked tobacco to make it non-addictive, a 90%reduction in the number of tobacco retailers and protecting future generations by ending tobacco sales to anyone born after 1 January 2009.This action has aroused huge controversy locally and internationally. For example, Professor Boyd Swinburn, co-chair of the Health Coalition Aotearoa, commented: “This is a major loss for public health and a huge win for the tobacco industry—whose profits will be boosted at the expense of Kiwi lives.”1 Indeed, the Government’s action is nothing short of deliberate public health vandalism.