New Zealand legislates to ban cigarettes for future generations

This is a really interesting story about New Zealand's latest move to eradicate smoking with the government passing legislation to ban smoking by gradually raising the minimum age at which you can smoke. The country’s smoking age of 18 will rise each year until it applies to the whole population.

The laws effectively mean that no-one born after 2008 will be able to buy cigarettes or tobacco products, such that by 2050, you will have to be 40 years old to purchase cigarettes.

However, you might ask the question whether or not you think that this is 'good economics' or might it result in government failure?

Additionally, what does it imply about consumer choice? And if they ban smoking what's next? Alcohol?

And you might also reflect upon a historical precedent: did Prohibition reduce the amount of alcohol consumed in the United States?