Wellington City Council Bans Smoking on Own Land to Support Smoke-free New Zealand 2025

Dec.02.2022
Wellington City Council Bans Smoking on Own Land to Support Smoke-free New Zealand 2025
Wellington City Council bans smoking and vaping on its owned outdoor spaces to support a smoke-free NZ by 2025.

Wellington City Council has banned smoking and vaping on land owned by the council outside of reception areas in support of New Zealand becoming smoke-free by 2025.


Starting in March 2023, smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes will be prohibited in all outdoor dining areas located on Parliament-owned land. This includes the newly added "parklets" on Dixon Street, which allow restaurants to extend their dining area using Parliament-owned land.


The ban will be added to the list of smoke-free areas in the city, which includes beaches, amusement parks, bus stops, and sports fields.


The ban will not apply to private land, such as balconies, backyard dining areas, rooftops, or outdoor dining areas that are not on parliamentary property.


Helen Jones, manager of the public health committee of the city council, stated that this change reflects Wellington's contribution to national sports.


Our approach has always been to actively encourage smoke-free and e-cigarette-free zones rather than punishing those who smoke or use e-cigarettes. We will continue to take an educational approach and promote the benefits of smoke-free and e-cigarette-free environments for health, society, and the environment.


The change was originally scheduled to take effect in July 2022, but due to ongoing recovery from the aftermath of Covid-19, the committee has decided to postpone the implementation of this change to March 1, 2023.


2FIRSTS will continue to report on this issue and updates will be available on the "2FIRSTS APP." Scan the QR code below to download the app.



Disclaimer

This article is provided solely for professional research, industry discussion, and informational purposes. Any references to brands, companies, products, technologies, or policies are made for factual reporting and analytical purposes only, and do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, promotion, or advertising by 2Firsts.

Nicotine-containing products, including but not limited to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, carry significant health risks. Readers are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions, including age restrictions and access limitations.

The information contained in this article should not be regarded as investment, legal, medical, regulatory, or commercial advice. While 2Firsts strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of its content, it does not assume liability for any direct or indirect loss arising from errors, omissions, inaccuracies, or reliance on the information contained herein.

This article is not intended for individuals below the legal age for accessing tobacco or nicotine-related information in their jurisdiction.

 

Copyright Notice

This article is either original content produced by 2Firsts or content reproduced, translated, summarized, or adapted from third-party sources with attribution where applicable. The intellectual property rights of the original content remain with 2Firsts or the respective original rights holders.

No individual or organization may copy, reproduce, distribute, republish, modify, translate, or otherwise use this content without prior authorization. Any unauthorized use may result in legal action.

For copyright-related inquiries, corrections, or removal requests, please contact: info@2firsts.com.

 

AI-Assisted Translation and Editing Notice

Portions of this article may have been translated, edited, or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools to improve efficiency and readability. Due to the limitations of AI-assisted translation and editing, discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies may exist when compared with the original source.

Where applicable, readers are advised to refer to the original source for the most complete and accurate information. If you identify any errors or believe that any content infringes upon your rights, please contact us at info@2firsts.com, and we will review and address the matter promptly.

NAS 2026 | FDA CTP Director Says PMTA Pathway Is “Predicated on Tobacco Harm Reduction”
NAS 2026 | FDA CTP Director Says PMTA Pathway Is “Predicated on Tobacco Harm Reduction”
At the 2026 New Approaches Summit in New York, FDA Center for Tobacco Products Director Bret Koplow said the PMTA pathway is “predicated on tobacco harm reduction.” He outlined four CTP priorities: youth prevention, helping adults quit or switch to lower-risk products, improving relative-risk communication, and reducing unauthorized products. Koplow also addressed flavored e-cigarettes, public risk perceptions, industry credibility and efforts to make PMTA reviews more efficient and predictable.
Sep.26
Global Nicotine-Pouch E-Commerce Group Haypp Shuts Sweden’s Snusnetto Over Age Verification as Identity Checks Become Industry Infrastructure for New Nicotine Products
Global Nicotine-Pouch E-Commerce Group Haypp Shuts Sweden’s Snusnetto Over Age Verification as Identity Checks Become Industry Infrastructure for New Nicotine Products
Sweden's Supreme Administrative Court has declined to hear an appeal over age verification for tobacco and nicotine products collected from parcel lockers, leaving in place a lower-court ruling that geo-located BankID verification is insufficient to securely verify the actual recipient. Haypp Group has stopped tobacco and nicotine sales through Snusnetto and is deploying a new system across its other Swedish e-commerce sites to verify the age of the person who actually opens the locker and receives the shipment. The change comes as age verification across next-generation nicotine products expands from purchase checks into retail, delivery and, for some e-cigarettes, device access itself.
Regulations
Oct.20
UK HMRC Unveils Red and Yellow Transitional Vape Duty Stamps Ahead of October Tax Launch
UK HMRC Unveils Red and Yellow Transitional Vape Duty Stamps Ahead of October Tax Launch
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has released sample images of the UK’s transitional vaping duty stamps, showing red and yellow versions ahead of the new Vaping Products Duty and Vaping Duty Stamps Scheme starting on October 1, 2026. Transitional stamps contain physical security features but no digital scanning function. Approved businesses may purchase them through November 30 and affix them through December 31. HMRC has not stated that the red and yellow samples represent different product categories or tax statuses.
Regulations
Sep.02
F1 Faces Renewed Pressure Over Tobacco and Nicotine Sponsorships as 67 Groups Target ZYN and VELO Ahead of Madrid Race
F1 Faces Renewed Pressure Over Tobacco and Nicotine Sponsorships as 67 Groups Target ZYN and VELO Ahead of Madrid Race
Ahead of the Formula 1 race in Madrid, 67 Spanish and international public-health, medical and consumer organizations have sent an open letter to F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali calling for an end to sponsorships linked to the tobacco and nicotine industry, including nicotine pouches, vaping products and heated tobacco. The letter focuses on Philip Morris International’s ZYN partnership with Ferrari and British American Tobacco’s long-running partnership with McLaren and exposure for VELO. The campaign follows a March letter in which more than 160 organizations worldwide made a similar request to Formula 1.
Sep.10
IKE Tech Launches IKE 2.0 Compliance Platform for Nicotine Products
IKE Tech Launches IKE 2.0 Compliance Platform for Nicotine Products
IKE Tech launched IKE 2.0 on September 28, initially targeting nicotine products with a platform that combines user identity verification, product authentication, configurable policy controls and data analytics. Products can be authenticated through direct device integration or NFC smart tags. IKE Tech was formed with participation from Ispire's Aspire North America, Berify and Chemular, with Ispire currently holding a 40% interest. Its age-verification component PMTA was accepted by the FDA in 2025 and remains under review. The company did not disclose customer names, commercial deployment volumes, pricing or revenue tied to IKE 2.0.
News
Sep.29 by 2Firsts Perspectives
Product | KT&G Launches lil HYBRID 3.0 Misty Rosé Edition II in South Korea With Two Pink Finishes at 88,000 Won
Product | KT&G Launches lil HYBRID 3.0 Misty Rosé Edition II in South Korea With Two Pink Finishes at 88,000 Won
South Korean tobacco company KT&G launched the limited-edition lil HYBRID 3.0 Misty Rosé Edition II on September 30, 2026, following the original Misty Rosé Edition introduced in November 2025. The new release comes in two pink finishes, Bloom Rosé and Viva Rosé, each priced at 88,000 won. Both versions initially went on sale through the lil Store online shop and lil MINIMALIUM flagship stores. From October 7, Bloom Rosé became available at approximately 1,500 lil Station retail outlets nationwide. The release retains the existing lil HYBRID 3.0 hybrid heated tobacco platform, with changes focused on exterior design and distribution.
product
Oct.10