Thursday, 18 August 2022
Meet the JournalistsPremiumAucklandWellingtonCanterbury/South Island
CrimePoliticsHealthEducationEnvironment and ClimateNZ Herald FocusData journalismKāhu, Māori ContentPropertyWeather
Small BusinessOpinionPersonal FinanceEconomyBusiness TravelCapital Markets
Politics
Premium SportRugbyCricketRacingNetballBoxingLeagueFootballSuper RugbyAthleticsBasketballMotorsportTennisCyclingGolfAmerican SportsHockeyUFC
NZH Local FocusThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay of Plenty TimesHawke's Bay TodayRotorua Daily PostWhanganui ChronicleStratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu Courier
Covid-19
Te Rito
Te Rito
OneRoof PropertyCommercial Property
Open JusticeVideoPodcastsTechnologyWorldOpinion
SpyTVMoviesBooksMusicCultureSideswipeCompetitions
Fashion & BeautyFood & DrinkRoyalsRelationshipsWellbeingPets & AnimalsVivaCanvasEat WellCompetitionsRestaurants & Menus
New Zealand TravelAustralia TravelInternational Travel
Our Green FutureRuralOneRoof Property
Career AdviceCorporate News
Driven MotoringPhotos
SudokuCodecrackerCrosswordsWordsearchDaily quizzes
Classifieds
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDriven MotoringThe CountryPhoto SalesNZ Herald InsightsWatchMeGrabOneiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
New Zealand

Smoking among young teens nearly stubbed out - survey

3 Apr, 2019 10:12 PM4 minutes to read
New research announced by Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa today indicated that, for the first time, fewer than two per cent of Kiwi teens aged 14 to 15 now smoked daily. Photo / File

New research announced by Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa today indicated that, for the first time, fewer than two per cent of Kiwi teens aged 14 to 15 now smoked daily. Photo / File

Jamie Morton
By
Jamie Morton

Science Reporter

VIEW PROFILE

Smoking among young teen students appears close to being stubbed out, a new survey suggests.

New research announced by Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa today indicated that, for the first time, fewer than two per cent of Kiwi teens aged 14 to 15 now smoked daily.

The data, from a survey of 29,000 Year 10 students carried out each year by Action for Smokefree 2025 (ASH), showed just 1.9 per cent smoke on a daily basis.

"That's a dramatic drop from the 15.2 per cent of students 20 years ago who said they smoked on a daily basis," Salesa said.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

"More than 81 per cent of those surveyed haven't smoked at all – not even a few puffs."

The research also found just 1.8 per cent of students used e-cigarettes or vaped each day, marking a slight drop from 1.9 per cent in 2017.

Less than 0.5 per cent of students who had never smoked vaped daily.

Salesa said the survey was good news – but she acknowledged more work was need to achieve equity among Kiwi teens.

"Almost 6 per cent of Māori girls who took part in the survey tell us they smoke daily and while that rate has decreased, it's still higher than the overall rate of 1.9 per cent," she said.

"That needs to change and the gaps need to close."

The Government has announced amendments to current smoking laws that will support smokers to switch to significantly less harmful alternatives.

Plans included improved access to quality vaping and smokeless tobacco products, and improving publicly available information on vaping.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

The moves drew praise from a visiting expert, Australian Drug law Reform Foundation president Professor Alex Wodak.

"New Zealand's policymakers are taking a glass-half-full approach to vaping and are very clear the proposed legislation is an opportunity to reduce the harms of smoking," Wodak said.

"This is in contrast to many countries that approach vaping as a problem, not an opportunity."

ASH chairman, Emeritus Professor Robert Beaglehole, emphasised that the opportunity to help people switch from smoking to vaping also needed balance against any unwanted effect like youth uptake, or poor-quality vaping products entering New Zealand.

"To date, our surveys suggest non-smoking youth have been very unlikely to take up vaping in New Zealand compared to those who already smoke," Beaglehole said.

"We have the opportunity to get a win-win on vaping if we can continue this trend while shifting smokers to safer nicotine by providing meaningful information on risk, making safer alternates much more affordable and protecting people with sensible product safety standards."

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Salsea, however, noted that, while there was still no evidence to suggest vaping was a gateway to cigarette smoking, it was important to her that children be protected from taking up either.

Whether New Zealand's ultimate goal of being smokefree by 2025 was reached remained far from certain - if highly unlikely.

A recent study in the New Zealand Medical Journal found another 17,200 Kiwis would need to quit smoking each year until 2025 if the country was to reach the goal of less than five per cent of the population smoking daily by then.

That figure was more than double the current quit rate.

It was estimated that, following the current trend, 17.4 per cent of Māori and 7.2 per cent of non-Māori people would be smoking in 2025.

But Salsea said she was focused on developing an action plan to achieve the 2025 goal.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

"It is my intention that a full suite of possible actions is considered, and that a draft action plan will be available for public consultation by the end of this year."

Elsewhere in proposed changes, the Government planned to ban smoking – and vaping – in cars when children under 18 were present.

It had also opted for a 10 per cent hike in the tobacco excise this year.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

New ZealandUpdated

Polyamorous couple's kids suffered psychological abuse, court told

18 Aug 02:36 AM
New Zealand|Crime

Disqualified driver 'addicted to driving' jailed

18 Aug 02:00 AM
New Zealand

Live: Storm's fury - hundreds evacuated in Nelson; 'boulders rolling down the street'

18 Aug 01:56 AM
Video

MetService Severe weather: August 18th - 20th

New ZealandUpdated

Live: Storm strikes Auckland - yacht sinks; slips and flooding cut off Far North

18 Aug 01:53 AM

Most Popular

Polyamorous couple's kids suffered psychological abuse, court told
New ZealandUpdated

Polyamorous couple's kids suffered psychological abuse, court told

18 Aug 02:36 AM
Scrap metal fire: Toxic smoke warning, residents to stay inside; blaze to burn across day
New Zealand

Scrap metal fire: Toxic smoke warning, residents to stay inside; blaze to burn across day

18 Aug 12:51 AM
Wet, warm and windy: Auckland and Northland battered by heavy rain overnight
New Zealand

Wet, warm and windy: Auckland and Northland battered by heavy rain overnight

17 Aug 09:25 PM

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2022 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP