New Zealand's smoking rates have reached a historic low, as the country continues to pursue an ambitious plan of achieving a smoke-free nation within a generation.
According to data released on Thursday, the number of daily smokers has decreased to 8%, the lowest level on record, and lower than last year's 9.4%.
Dr. Ayesha Verrall, deputy minister of health, attributed the decrease in smoking to government intervention, stating that the government's anti-smoking initiatives are proving to be effective.
Despite the pressures of the pandemic, the number of smokers has decreased by 56,000 in the past year, with smoking rates now half of what they were 10 years ago,” she said. Given that other countries have seen an increase in smoking rates during the pandemic, the minister is very pleased to see this downward trend.
New Zealand's overall smoking rate dropping to 8% will make it one of the countries with the lowest smoking rates in the world. The latest OECD average is 16.5%, with Australia at 10.7% and the UK at 13.8%. However, a significant portion of New Zealanders who quit smoking may turn to e-cigarettes instead. According to the latest data, the number of daily e-cigarette users is increasing more than the decrease in daily smokers: currently, 8.3% of adults use e-cigarettes daily, up from 6.2% last year.
In August, the New Zealand government introduced a world-first legislation aimed at preventing the next generation from legally purchasing cigarettes. The proposed law, which has passed its first reading, sets a staggered increase in the purchasing age, effectively making it impossible for youth to ever legally purchase cigarettes, thus creating a "smoke-free generation." These measures are considered groundbreaking - and have received both praise and concern for their untested nature.
In addition to raising the minimum age for smoking, New Zealand's laws have also lowered the nicotine content in cigarettes and mandated that they can only be sold in specialty shops rather than corner stores and supermarkets. The government intends to implement these laws next year as part of a larger effort to make New Zealand smoke-free by 2025. The country has increased funding for healthcare services and initiatives promoting physical activity, and has launched smoking cessation programs aimed at Maori and Pacific Islanders.
The Maori population has the largest decrease in smoking rates this year, with typically higher smoking rates than the general population. Verrall states that a quarter of Maori female smokers have quit smoking in the past 12 months, with a decrease from 24.1% to 18.2% from last year. The overall daily smoking rate for Maori people has decreased from 22.3% to 19.9%.
Smoking rates are declining sharply," said Verrall. "Achieving our goal of a smoke-free society by 2025 is achievable.
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