New Zealand smoking rate falls to a record low

According to data from a new survey by New Zealand’s Ministry of Health, cited by the New Zealand Herald, the smoking rate among New Zealand adults has fallen to a record low. The survey also found that one in ten New Zealand adults uses vaping products daily, with the highest rates among young people and Maori.

The annual New Zealand Health Survey recorded that 6.8% of adults are daily smokers, down from 8.6% last year.

Across all ethnic groups, daily smoking rates also dropped sharply, with the Maori rate falling from 37.7% to 17.1%, and the Pacific peoples rate declining from 22.6% to 6.4%.

Between 2017 and 2019, the number of people in New Zealand using vaping products daily rose from 2.6% to 9.7% this year. Young people were more likely to use vaping products every day (25.2%), while young Maori had the highest rate among all ethnic groups (23.5%).

Letitia Harding, chief executive of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, said the doubling in the number of young people using vaping products daily is a public health crisis. “What we are witnessing is an epidemic that requires immediate attention to address such alarming figures,” she said.

By contrast, the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) believes that vaping products have helped reduce New Zealand’s smoking rate.

CAPHRA Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas said: “New Zealand’s ambitious goal of becoming smoke-free by 2025 has been driven by comprehensive tobacco control legislation, targeted interventions, and a strong focus on tobacco harm reduction products.”

Loucas also said: “This shift toward less harmful nicotine products is a key part of New Zealand’s world-leading approach to tobacco harm reduction.”