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New Zealand will phase in a near-total tobacco ban from next year.

Legislation passed by parliament on Tuesday means that anyone born after 2008 will never be able to buy cigarettes or tobacco products.

It will mean the number of people able to buy tobacco will shrink each year. By 2050, for example, 40-year-olds will be too young to buy cigarettes.

Health Minister Ayesha Verrall, who introduced the bill, said it was a step "towards a smoke-free future".

The new legislation does not ban vape products, which have become far more popular among younger generations than cigarettes.

Critics of the bill - including the ACT party which holds 10 seats in parliament - have warned that the policy could fuel a black market in tobacco products and kill off small shops.

Selah Hart, CEO of Hapai Te Hauora - an organisation that focuses on M膩ori public health, and New Zealand resident Oliver spoke to Outside Source about the ban.

"Indigenous populations and communities across the globe are heavily impacted by the tobacco industry, and we see this as a world leading step to addressing that underlying issue," says Selah.

(Photo: Man smoking a cigarette. Getty Images)

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