Smoking rates at all-time low, still high for Māori, figures show

Daily cigarette smoking rates have reached an all-time low. Photo / 123rf

By RNZ

The number of people who smoke cigarettes daily has dropped to an all-time low of 8 per cent, down from 9.4 per cent this time last year.

But figures in the Annual NZ Health survey show the daily rate for Māori is still far higher: 19.9 per cent, down from 22.3 per cent.

While there has been a reduction in tobacco smoking, tobacco and e-cigarette use continues to grow, rising from 6 per cent last year to 8.3 per cent this year, with usage highest among 18- to 24-year-olds

Māori public health organisation Hāpai Te Hauora said more work was needed to help the country get to its Smokefree 2025 goal of 5 per cent.

Smoking rates for non-Māori sat at 7.2 per cent, and Hāpai Te Hauora wanted concentrated efforts addressing inequities for Māori and Pasifika taken seriously by the Government.

Chief executive Selah Hart said there were multiple measures, including legislative measures, to restrict the sale and supply of tobacco.

While there had been a drop in smoking rates, vaping and e-cigarette use surged, particularly among rangatahi aged 18 to 24.

A total of 22.9 per cent of vapers were Pākēha, 21.7 per cent were Pasifika and 17.6 per cent were Māori.

Hart said vaping was a double-edged sword: it was a helpful cessation device, but it was also introducing a habit for those who have never smoked.

“They are only getting the nicotine ... so on one hand that’s a really great thing because we have removed a whole heap of chemicals going into those whānau bodies,” Hart said.

“We now need to re-look at our strategy and understand, okay, for those whānau who were people who never smoked and are now vaping, what are we doing to protect them and keep them away from the potential addiction to nicotine through these vape devices?”

Hart wanted more education and a targeted approach from the Government as the number of rangatahi who vape continued to rise.

Students were being expelled and excluded from school because of their vaping habits, she said.

“That is absolutely the wrong way to go about this, it needs a health response. It’s a health issue, it’s an addiction issue, we shouldn’t be penalising kids from their education rights because they have an addiction issue.”

-RNZ