NZ Government Eyes Sale of Smokeless Tobacco; Critics Warn of “Backslide”

Key Points

• The government plans to legalize smokeless nicotine products under strict safety conditions.
• Minister Casey Costello supports a harm-reduction approach over prohibition.
• Labour MP Ayesha Verrall warned it could create new youth addiction risks.
• Expert Dr. Jude Ball said Big Tobacco is pushing oral nicotine to reclaim market share.
• Costello denied favoritism toward the tobacco industry, reaffirming the Smokefree 2025 goal.

2Firsts, December 5, 2025 – According to RNZ, New Zealand Associate Health Minister Casey Costello came under renewed fire in Parliament on Wednesday over Big Tobacco’s influence and her support for rolling out oral nicotine products.

The government has proposed allowing the sale of smokeless nicotine items such as snus and nicotine pouches, subject to safety requirements and youth protection rules. Costello, who has repeatedly denied being too close to tobacco companies, said her focus remained on achieving the Smokefree 2025 target through harm reduction—helping smokers switch to alternatives like vapes and oral nicotine.

Labour’s health spokesperson Dr. Ayesha Verrall challenged the plan, warning it could create a new generation of nicotine addiction. Costello countered that youth vaping rates are falling, but that alternative options are needed for older smokers struggling to quit.

Verrall pressed the Minister to adopt the expert advisory group’s recommendation that oral nicotine products only be introduced if proven safer than cigarettes and effective at reducing smoking. Costello replied that she was reviewing multiple recommendations before implementation.

ACT MP Cameron Luxton asked whether the government had learned from Australia’s “overly burdensome” regulations that, he claimed, drove up smoking rates and fostered organized crime. Costello agreed, noting that “well-intentioned but excessive regulation” had backfired in Australia.

Public health expert Dr. Jude Ball of Otago University said expanding access to oral nicotine would undermine New Zealand’s smoke-free goals, warning that Big Tobacco is lobbying hard to regain its foothold by addicting young people. She added that evidence does not support claims that oral nicotine helps people quit smoking.

Image source: Radio New Zealand