New Zealand has halved its smoking rates in just five years by supporting adult smokers to switch to vaping, a new report reveals.
Smoking rates in New Zealand are set to dip below five per cent, putting it on the brink of being declared officially ‘smoke free.’
Global health campaign group Smoke Free Sweden says the country presents a compelling case study for the ‘Swedish Model’ of smoking cessation, where safer nicotine alternatives are made readily available to smokers.
Its new report - ‘Quitting Strong: New Zealand’s Smoking Cessation Success Story’ - looks at the evolution of tobacco control policy in New Zealand, which started with the “quit or die” approach, but ultimately embraced Sweden’s more effective model.
The report says: “The pragmatic approach adopted by these two countries has greatly contributed to the prevention and control of tobacco-related disease, disability and premature death. If other countries follow the policy roadmap they have set out, millions of lives will be saved.”
Sharp drop in smoking rates
Since promoting vapes as a safer alternative to smoking, New Zealand has witnessed a remarkable drop in smoking rates - from 16.4 per cent in 2011 to six per cent in 2023.
Meanwhile, the prevalence of adult daily vaping increased from 2.6 per cent to 9.7 per cent in the same timeframe. Most daily vapers (78 per cent) are reported as either ex-smokers, or current smokers (dual users).
The decline in smoking was turbo-charged from 2019 when the Ministry of Health launched the smoking cessation website, Vaping Facts, which informed smokers: “Vaping is a way to quit cigarettes by getting nicotine with fewer of
the toxins that come from burning tobacco.”
‘Vape to Quit’ campaign
The following year, the government launched its Vape to Quit campaign. This initiative, endorsed by the Ministry and associated health groups, actively promoted vaping as a smoking cessation tool.
Action for Smokefree 2025 (ASH New Zealand), the leading tobacco control NGO, says the country is now on track to reach its 2025 ‘smoke-free’ goal.
In responding to falling smoking rates, the New Zealand Public Health Communication Centre concluded that, “the most plausible explanations for the observed changes in smoking prevalence… [include] growing use of [vapes] resulting in increased quitting smoking among people who smoke and/or reduced uptake if young people substitute vaping for smoking.”
Smoke Free Sweden said New Zealand’s success provides an important lesson to the world. Its report says: “New Zealand’s progress towards a smoke free nation powerfully exemplifies the effectiveness of the Swedish model. This approach, centred on harm reduction and promoting risk-reduced alternatives, demonstrably leads to significant reductions in smoking rates while providing critical controls on underage access and appeal.”
