Smoking in New Zealand
In New Zealand, smoking is legal but subject to tobacco control regulations. Cigarettes are regulated as tobacco products and can be sold through retail outlets, including online sales and vending machines. The importation of cigarettes for trade is allowed with a trade license. Health warnings on packaging are mandatory, the legal minimum age for purchase is 18 years, and smoking in public places is subject to legal restrictions. A comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising is also in place. Cigarettes in New Zealand are taxed at a total rate of 82.78%, including an excise component of 69.74%. Data show that in 2024, the number of current smokers was recorded to be approximately 364,000 in New Zealand, corresponding to an adult smoking prevalence of 8.6%. In the same year, current smoking prevalence was slightly higher among males (9.7%) than among females (7.7%). In 2022, this prevalence was recorded to be 11.4%. In 2023, the adult daily tobacco smoking prevalence was reported to be 7.7%, with approximately 362,845 daily smokers. In 2021, smoking led to approximately 3,580 deaths in New Zealand, including 2,085 deaths among males and 1,495 deaths among females. In other words, tobacco smoking accounted for 10.38% of all deaths in the country in 2021, including11.78% of all male deaths and 8.9% of all female deaths.
Read articles from New Zealand
February 05, 2021 by scoop.co.nz
Still Time To Follow The Evidence On Vape Flavours – Petitioner
Nearly a year since a Parliamentary petition on vaping flavours closed, and exactly six months since the Government’s vaping legislation was passed, the petition organiser has submitted a supporting supplementary submission at the Health Select Committee’s request. Despite the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Act 2020 now in play, the Government could still opt to follow the evidence, not the emotion, when it comes to final decisions around the availability of vape flavours, says Nancy Loucas, co-director of Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA).
January 27, 2021 by miragenews.com
Targeted health messaging needed in era of vaping, researchers say
Health authorities should develop targeted health messages for vaping product and e-liquid packaging to encourage smokers to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes and to prevent non-smokers from taking up vaping, a researcher at the University of Otago, Wellington says. Professor Janet Hoek, a Co-Director of the University’s ASPIRE 2025 Research Centre has led new Health Research Council-funded research analysing the impact of on-package messaging on e-liquids.
January 27, 2021 by nzdoctor.co.nz
Millions of e-cigarettes to carry warning in te reo Māori under new Government proposals
Millions of vaping products imported into New Zealand will be required to display warning labels in te reo Maori if new Government proposals are implemented.
Under the new proposals, e-cigarettes containing nicotine would be required to carry a warning label advising of the potential for addiction to the product in both English and te reo Maori - similar to that found on cigarettes containing tobacco. According to latest Census data, 13% of Kiwis are regular smokers, however, this figure is significantly higher for Maori (31%).
January 13, 2021 by nzherald.co.nz
What does vaping really do to our lungs?
Vaping is touted as a lesser of two evils for smokers trying to quit - but a Kiwi scientist says there's much about e-cigarettes' long-term effects that we still don't know.
The University of Auckland's Dr Kelly Burrowes has now launched the most advanced study of its kind in the world, using human trials and state-of-the-art 3D computer models to get a precise look at what vaping does to our lungs. Worldwide sales of e-cigarettes have boomed around the globe over the past decade, and today an estimated three in 100 Kiwis use them at least once a day.
December 04, 2020 by vapingpost.com
New Zealand: Nicotine Pouches Banned as Part of Smokefree Bill
A distributor of nicotine pouches in New Zealand, Miles Illemann, has previously explained that the product is more effective than e-cigarettes and that his company’s mission is helping New Zealand achieve smokefree status by 2025. “They just have such a high, proven effective rate. What we’re seeing in European countries is nicotine pouches have a success rate of 60-75 percent in getting people to quit smoking.” However, pointed out Illemann earlier this month, the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Bill has banned the pouches, in what is a loss for tobacco harm reduction.[...]
December 01, 2020 by odt.co.nz
Smokers offered free four-week course to quit
Smokers are being offered a "lifestyle upgrade" from Dunedin health professionals for free.
Te Kaika has started a new smoking cessation programme, which offers patients a four-week interactive course and support on their journey to becoming smoke-free.
About 30 people, including people aged from 21 through to 86, had already signed up to the He Manu Kokiri programme which launched last week.
Health improvement practitioner Sarah Redfearn said the name of the programme, which referred to a legend where a flock of birds helped each other to get to their desired location, was fitting as working together was what it was all about.
November 26, 2020 by newsroom.co.nz
Smokefree NZ - if not now, when?
Now is the time to demonstrate that the leadership seen during the pandemic can also be shown to address the other great public health challenges facing Aotearoa, write the University of Otago's Richard Edwards, Janet Hoek and Andrew Waa. [...] The Health Coalition Aotearoa has set out a framework of priority actions, including increasing taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks, restricting the promotion of alcoholic drinks and unhealthy food, removing nicotine from tobacco products, strengthening community input into alcohol licensing, and greatly reducing the supply of tobacco products.
November 25, 2020 by vapingpost.com
NZ Survey Indicates More Smokers Are Turning to E-Cigs to Quit Smoking
Lead study author Professor Richard Edwards from the University’s Department of Public Health, the study found that e-cigarette use was most common among individuals aged 18-24 years and among those who had recently quit smoking. The research also indicated, that between 2016 and 2018 the level of awareness, as well as the use of e-cigarettes, increased among smokers and those who had recently quit smoking. [...] the study comprised of surveys with 1,155 people between 2016 and 2017 and 1,020 people in 2018 (400 of them Māori) who smoked or had recently quit smoking.
November 25, 2020 by spotify.com
The Voices of the 5%
In this brand new episode of the Raupo Podcast, host Michael McGrady speaks with Dr. Marewa Glover about a brand new study that her Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking, in Auckland, New Zealand. [...]
November 11, 2020 by scoop.co.nz
All Workplace Vaping Stops Today, But Don’t Shun Vapers - AVCA
From today - 11 November - the existing prohibition on smoking inside workplaces will be extended to include vaping, but Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA) says there are other areas vapers need to respect as well. “We encourage New Zealand’s 200,000 vapers to think a little more before they vape. The general rule is if you wouldn’t smoke there, you shouldn’t vape there. The likes of shopping malls, and around schools and childcare centres are a no no. At the same time, many councils have made their outdoor city centre areas and council parks vape-free as well,” says Nancy Loucas, AVCA co-director.