New Zealand Plans to Achieve a Smoke-free Future by 2025

• New Zealand Health Minister: E-cigarettes have contributed significantly to reducing smoking rates among adults.

• The World Health Organization considers countries with smoking rates of less than 5% among adults to be “smoke-free.”

In a bold move to improve the health and quality of life of its population, New Zealand aims to become “smoke-free” by the year 2025. This initiative demonstrates the New Zealand government’s commitment to a future free from the health harms associated with smoking. By encouraging the adoption of modern, better alternatives like e-cigarettes, New Zealand is setting a precedent for other countries seeking to combat traditional tobacco consumption.
The World Health Organization recognize a “smoke-free” country as one with an adult smoking rate below 5%. In New Zealand, the smoking rate among individuals aged 15 and older was recorded at 6.8% last year. However, the New Zealand government is optimistic about achieving a rate below 5% by 2025.
To achieve this ambitious goal, the New Zealand government is implementing a multifaceted approach, including the 2020 “Vaping to quit smoking” campaign. This initiative has contributed to a sustained decline in smoking rates. In 2019, the New Zealand Ministry of Health launched the “Vaping Facts” website. Its purpose is to inform smokers that vaping can be a potential quit-smoking aid, as it delivers nicotine without the harmful chemicals associated with burning traditional cigarettes.
The Korea Electronic Cigarette Association (KECA) reports that New Zealand government authorities have begun acknowledging studies suggesting that e-cigarettes are 95% safer than traditional smoking. This recognition has led to the implementation of various public support programs aimed at helping smokers quit using e-cigarettes. These programs have been in place for several years.
“Vaping has played a significant role in reducing adult smoking rates and will continue to be an essential tool,” stated New Zealand’s Health Minister, Shane Reti. This assertion is supported by recent scientific research. Cigarette smoke contains over 6,000 chemicals, including 100 toxic substances directly linked to smoking-related diseases. The smoke from burning cigarettes is a primary cause of these diseases. Burning tobacco generates temperatures between 900 and 950 degrees Celsius, producing large quantities of toxic and carcinogenic compounds. Conversely, heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes operate at temperatures below 350 degrees Celsius, resulting in fewer chemical reactions and thermal degradation. This reduction in temperature contributes to a decrease in many of the toxic and carcinogenic substances produced by traditional cigarette smoking.
There is a variety of alternative smoke-free products, including heated tobacco, which relies on heating tobacco coils instead of burning them and provides the body with the desired nicotine. Also, the e-cigarettes rely on vaporizing a liquid to which a nicotine solution is added to form a spray with different flavors. In addition to chewing tobacco products that contain nicotine and are designed for use by chewing, and finally, nicotine pouches, which are used by mouth as well, but do not contain tobacco. All of these products do not produce smoke or ash as they do not rely on burning.

“Following New Zealand’s legalization and promotion of vaping in 2020, we witnessed a significant 43% reduction in daily adult smoking rates, from 11.9% in 2020 to 6.8% in 2023. As a result, New Zealand is now on track to achieve its goal of becoming ‘smoke-free’ by 2025,” stated Mary Glover, a former professor of public health at Massey University.
“New Zealand’s success offers a compelling model for reducing smoking rates and improving public health,” said Kim Doo-hwan, Vice President of the New Zealand Anti-Smoking Association. “Wellington’s successful anti-smoking campaign provides valuable lessons. The Korean government should consider adopting similar strategies to accelerate improvements in public health outcomes.”
It’s noteworthy that several countries worldwide, including Sweden, Japan, and the United Kingdom, have adopted a ‘Harm Reduction’ approach to tackle the pressing issue of smoking. This approach recognizes smoking as a significant public health threat and has led to the exploration of alternative tobacco products. Scientific evidence increasingly supports these products as better alternatives. While it’s essential to emphasize that these alternatives are not entirely risk-free, they can offer a suitable option for adult smokers who are unwilling to quit smoking altogether.