The Cancer Society has today launched a petition calling for a significant reduction in the number of stores that are able to sell tobacco. Between 3000 and 4000 shops sell tobacco in New Zealand, but the society would like that to drop as low as 200.

It said only drastic action can help the country reach its Smokefree 2025 goal, and combat health issues which kill up to 11 people a day. More than half a million adults are thought to be smokers in New Zealand, and each year about 4000 people die from smoking-related issues.