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
July 26, 2018 by scoop.co.nz
Health group left disappointed at confusing advocacy
Largest Maori Public Health group left disappointed at confusing advocacy
Hāpai Te Hauora is calling for sensibility and improved focus on smoked tobacco cigarettes given its devastating history and continued harm on Māori health.
Last week the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ spoke to Māori media using the ASH Year 10 Study that shows an increase in rangatahi (youth) experimenting with vaping devices from 20% in 2014 to 28% in 2016. [...]
June 22, 2018 by scoop.co.nz
Smokefree 2025: An opportunity for big scores by the Govt
A group of tobacco control experts published an open letter this week in the New Zealand Medical Journal calling for bold new actions from the New Zealand Government to achieve the Smokefree 2025 goal.
The group, which included health and tobacco experts from the Cancer Society and the University of Otago, Wellington, is calling for the vision of the 2010 Māori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry on the tobacco industry to be revived. That vision included a reduction of tobacco retail outlets, [...]
June 07, 2018 by odt.co.nz
Smart tech used in varsity quit smoking study
University of Otago-led research shows smart technology can shed new light on the challenges faced by smokers trying to quit by using e-cigarettes.
The research trialled the use of ''smart'' technology, including smart e-cigarettes and smartphones, among 11 Dunedin smokers last year. Research fellow Mei-Ling Blank, of the Otago marketing department, said it was ''very satisfying'' to test the smart technology, to see if mounting a much bigger vaping study in future was feasible.
June 05, 2018 by scoop.co.nz
ESR visitor warns of vaping concerns
A visiting US scientist, Michelle Peace, is warning of the potential hazards of vaping.
Michelle Peace, who is in New Zealand as the International Vision Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Science Research (ESR), says a whole culture has grown up around the use of e-cigarettes, which many people regard as being safer than tobacco. But Dr Peace says while e-cigarettes may be “healthier” than normal cigarettes, that doesn’t mean they are “healthy”.
May 29, 2018 by nzherald.co.nz
Anti-smoking campaigner and health advisor throws weight behind vaping
A leading GP and anti-smoking campaigner in Whanganui is now actively promoting vaping as an option for people trying to quit smoking. [...] Previously there wasn't enough information about vaping and the devices were not legal, he said.
"As a result of a recent court ruling, the sale of vaping devices and nicotine liquid is now legal in New Zealand," McMeniman said, and he was now promoting vaping as a means to quitting cigarettes.
May 23, 2018 by nzherald.co.nz
Ban cigarette sales by 2025 and encourage vaping to hit smokefree goal, MPs told
The Government will have to ban the sale of cigarettes if it wants to reach its goal of making New Zealand smoke-free by 2025, MPs have been told.
Public health advocates and academics also said the Government needs to more aggressively encourage less harmful alternatives like vaping and e-cigarettes to help people who have failed to quit smoking tobacco. [...] Hapai Te Hauora chief executive Lance Norman said there was no way the target would be reached on existing settings.
May 17, 2018 by vapingpost.com
NZ: Vaping Products Can be Lawfully Imported, Sold and Distributed
New Zealand’s Associate Health Minister Nicky Wagner, said that despite the fact that scientific research pertaining to vaping products is still being developed, “there’s a general consensus that vaping is much less harmful than smoking”.
“The Government is taking a cautious approach by aligning the regulations around vaping with those for cigarettes. This ensures cigarette smokers have access to a lower-risk alternative while we continue to discourage people from smoking [...]
May 14, 2018 by scoop.co.nz
Vaping regulation: Risk-proportionate
The Ministry of Health are making moves to regulate vapes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. This is supported by Hāpai Te Hauora who hopes that the Ministry do their best to provide effective and sustainable regulation. "Regulation is an important aspect of harm minimisation" says Hāpai CEO Lance Norman, "as it ensures products undergo robust quality testing that informs consumers of their associated health risks if any".
April 12, 2018 by theguardian.com
E-cigarettes: NSW bans vaping in public places with $550 fine for offenders
Smokers of e-cigarettes could be fined up to $550 if caught vaping in public spaces or on public transport across New South Wales.
The ban will come into effect in July after state parliament passed new laws on Wednesday night.
“Put simply, where you are not allowed to smoke cigarettes, you now cannot vape either,” the health minister, Brad Hazzard, said in a statement on Thursday.
April 11, 2018 by vapingpost.com
Anti-Smoking Groups Need to Embrace E-cigs for Harm Reduction
In March 2017, [...] Nicky Wagner had said that e-cigarettes would be legalized and that New Zealand was adopting a low risk approach since scientific evidence about the safety of e-cigarettes is still being developed. However, a year later, no formal action has yet been taken to initiate the legalization process. [...] Marewa Glover is pointing out that this makes it impossible for government-funded health services to suggest the devices for smoking cessation, [...]