New Zealand: Smoking rates hit record low, vaping on the rise

The number of smokers in New Zealand has fallen to a historic low as the country continues its goal of achieving a tobacco-free generation by 2025. Recent data shows the number of people smoking daily has increased to 8% in 2022, down from 9.4% last year and 11.9% in 2020.

Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall attributed the decline to the many interventions and measures the government has put in place in recent years. 56,000 more people have stopped smoking in the past year, with smoking rates now half what they were a decade ago " she said.[1].

New Zealand close to achieving tobacco-free generation goal by 2025

The decline in New Zealand's overall population smoking rate to 8.% would place it among the lowest prevalence rates in the world. The most recent OECD average was 16.5TP3T. For example, Australia's daily smoking rate is 10.7TP3T, the United Kingdom's is 13.8TP3T and France's is 25.5TP3T.

The country presented a bill in the summer of 2022[2] to make New Zealand a tobacco-free country by 2025. These measures include banning the sale of smoked tobacco and nicotine products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, reducing the nicotine content of tobacco products, reducing the number of outlets and expanding targeted smoking cessation services for Māori and Pacific people. The Action Plan also calls for a ban on filters in tobacco products, noting that their use does not reduce the harm caused by cigarettes, and that such a measure could actually reduce smoking prevalence.[3].

Smoking prevalence has fallen significantly this year among Māori, from 22.3 per cent to 19.9 per cent in one year. Dr Verrall said a quarter of Māori female smokers had quit in the past 12 months.

Vigilance around the consumption of vaping products

But it is likely that a significant proportion of New Zealanders who quit smoking are switching to vaping, according to the Health Minister. The latest data shows that the increase in daily vaping users is greater than the decline in daily smokers: 8.3 per cent of adults are now vaping daily, compared with 6.2 per cent last year. The data suggests that people, particularly teenagers, who have never smoked before are taking up vaping.[4].

The number of young New Zealanders aged 15 to 17 who vape daily has tripled in two years, from 2 per cent in 2018-19 to 6 per cent in 2020-21, according to the latest New Zealand Health Survey. Among young adults, aged 18 to 24, daily vaping has increased from 5 per cent to 15 per cent over the same period.

Keywords: New Zealand, tobacco-free generation, 2025, vaping, youth

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[1] Tess McClure, New Zealand smoking rates fall to lowest on record, but vaping on the rise, The Guardian, published November 17, 2022, accessed November 21, 2022

[2] Tobacco-free generation, New Zealand close to achieving tobacco-free generation goal by 2025, published on July 26, 2022, consulted on November 21, 2022

[3] Tobacco-free generation, New Zealand may cut nicotine in tobacco, ban filters, published October 19, 2022, accessed November 21, 2022

[4] Janet Hoek, Lindsay Robertson, Young non-smokers in NZ are taking up vaping more than ever before. Here are 5 reasons why, The Conversation, published June 26, 2022, accessed November 21, 2022