"We are finally seeing the majority of young people not taking up cigarettes, creating a new generation of 'never-smokers'."
The average age of a new smoker is 14.8, but research suggested if a people could make it to age 25 without taking up the habit it was likely they would never smoke, she said.
The number of Maori men smoking has also gone down, falling by just over 5 per cent to 32.2 per cent in the last year.
Each cigarette consumed will take an average of 11 minutes off a person's life and the average smoker consumes 650 cigarettes per year.
More than 700 people a week contact Quitline, with many telling the service the increasing cost of cigarettes was a contributing factor in why they were kicking the habit, Gannon said.
E-cigarettes and vaping are also helping people quit smoking. Nicotine containing e-cigarettes are the most popular, as opposed to nicotine free.
Research from Public Health England stated e-cigs do appear to be 95 per cent less harmful than traditional tobacco, but plenty of research still needed to be done before the products could be fully assured as being safe, Gannon said.
Quitline can be contacted anytime by calling 0800 778 778 or visiting www.quit.org.nz
