More alcohol and cigarettes were on the market last year than in 2001, new statistics show.
The total volume of alcoholic drinks available for consumption rose 4.6 per cent last year, Statistics New Zealand said in a statement today.
The total volume of wine available for consumption increased by 10.6 per cent.
Seventy-fiveper cent of the wine was made in New Zealand.
The volume of spirit-based drinks also rose.
Spirits and spirit-based drinks now represent 10 per cent of the total alcoholic beverage available for consumption, compared with 3 per cent in the 1996 year.
Beer available for consumption rose 2.7 per cent last year - 72 per cent of the total alcoholic beverage available for consumption last year.
Meanwhile, the number of cigarettes available for consumption last year rose 8 per cent to 2817 million. This followed a 17.2 per cent decrease the previous year.
The number of cigarettes available for consumption peaked at 6346 million in 1977.
The number had dropped below 3000 million for the last two calendar years, compared with 3000 million to 3700 million between 1992 and 2000.
Tobacco available for consumption rose 3.8 per cent to 810 tonnes in the year ended December 2002, following a fall of 7.2 per cent in the December 2001 year.
Statistics New Zealand said the figures showed how much of the products were available and did not show how much was used.
