New Zealand records lowest smoking rate

WELLINGTON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's smoking rate has fallen to a historic low of eight percent of adults smoking daily, down from 9.4 percent a year ago, ahead of the country's goal of being smokefree by 2025, Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said on Thursday.

The number of people smoking fell by 56,000 over the past year, despite the pressures and stress of the pandemic, and smoking rates are now half of what they were 10 years ago, Verrall said.

"I'm really pleased to see the downward trend continue, especially given that other countries saw an uptick in their smoking rates during lockdowns," she said, adding that the government's stop-smoking services are more accessible, leading to more quit attempts, with roughly 84,000 people attempting to quit smoking in the past 12 months.

However, about 8.3 percent of adults are now vaping daily, increasing from 6.2 percent in the past year, the survey shows.

The smoking rates are plummeting, and the country's goal of being smokefree by 2025 is within reach, Verrall said.

The smokefree legislation is expected to be passed by the end of the year, which will decrease the number of retail outlets selling tobacco, drastically reduce the level of nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels and ensure that the next generation are never sold tobacco, she said.