Tobacco smoking, vaping, and new nicotine and tobacco products 

Health Coalition Aotearoa is committed to fulfilling the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 vision, in which tobacco smoking falls to fewer than five percent of people smoking across all population groups. 

New Zealand once led the world in tobacco control. But, after a decade of year-on-year declines in smoking prevalence, in recent years, smoking rates have plateaued.  

Every year since 2023, around seven percent of all adults have reported smoking daily.  

However, that figure masks persistant inequities, with much higher levels of smoking in Māori (15 percent), Pacific peoples (10 percent) and people living in the most deprived areas (13 percent). [Trends in smoking and vaping: New Zealand Health Survey 2024/25]   

Vaping has also emerged as a key concern. In 2024/5, almost 14 percent of 15 to 17-year-olds vaped daily, most of them who had never smoked.  While vaping in 14to 15-year-olds in 2025 was at 7.1 percent, down from a peak of 10.1 percent in 2022, it is still far too high. 

New oral nicotine and tobacco products, such as oral nicotine pouches, are being marketed and sold illegally in Aotearoa New Zealand, presenting new risks to health.  

The tobacco industry exerts influence on tobacco policy decision-makers to permit sales of their products. There is limited transparency of industry meetings with politicians and officials, in breach of commitments to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.[Gregan et al in Tobacco Control 23 Aug 2026.] 

Key Facts

Tobacco 

• Tobacco smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke cause about 5,000 premature deaths every year from cancer, chronic lung disease, stroke and heart disease.[Ministry of Health, Health loss in NZ, August 2013.] 
   

• In 2019, tobacco smoking caused almost 10 percent of New Zealand’s premature deaths and disability. [Global burdens of disease study 2019.]

   

• In 2020, one in four (22.6 percent) deaths among Māori were attributable to smoking compared to one in eight (12.3 percent) for non-Māori and non-Pacific people. [NZMJ 2020.]

   

• In 2024/5 6.8 percent (294,000) of adults smoked daily – equivalent to the populations of Wellington and Napier combined. [NZ Health Survey 2024/25.]

   

• Māori smoking prevalence (15 percent) is almost three times higher than New Zealand/European (5.7 percent) daily smoking. [NZ Health Survey 2024/25]

   

• Tobacco smoking among younger people aged 14 and 15 is now at historically very low levels, for all ethnic groups. [ASH year ten survey.]

   

• The price of loose tobacco and cigarettes sold in Aotearoa New Zealand is among the highest in the world, and there are claims by the tobacco industry that this is promoting a growing black market.

  However, current evidence does not support these claims.

  Nevertheless, close monitoring and enforcement are vital to maintain. [

  Ministry of Health report 2022.]

   

Vaping 

• Vapes are an effective quit smoking tool for people who smoke tobacco but are not without risks of harm. While less risky to physical health than smoking, vaping has its own health risks as well as risks of social, cultural and environmental harms. [Cochrane review 2026, UK govt 2022 Waitangi Tribunal report for Wai 2575.]

   

• Most young people who vape in Aotearoa New Zealand have never smoked. Currently 27,000 of 15 to 17-year-olds and one in five 18 to 24-year-olds vape daily. [NZ Health Survey 2024-2025.]

   

• While vaping regulations have become stronger in recent years, loopholes still exist, and prosecuting retailers that breach the regulations is difficult, meaning that vapes are still easily obtained by underage youth.

Oral nicotine and tobacco products 

• Oral tobacco and nicotine products include chewing tobacco, snus, and nicotine pouches.

   

• Oral nicotine pouches (ONPs) and tobacco pouches (snus) have recently grown in popularity globally, with high youth uptake, addiction and health concerns.

   

• Since 2024, the tobacco industry has marketed flavoured tobacco-free oral nicotine products as youth lifestyle products in New Zealand, despite them being illegal for sale or supply.

   

• The World Health Organization recommends that countries avoid legalising oral nicotine products, citing systematic targeting of young people, digital marketing, social media promotion, sponsorships and influencer marketing that positions them as lifestyle products. [WHO News 2026.]

However, there are plans to legalise oral nicotine and tobacco products, as part of the Coalition Agreement between National and New Zealand First. 

Reducing tobacco and vaping harm 

The following actions will help Aotearoa become Smokefree and effectively manage vaping: 

• Introduce a comprehensive future-proof nicotine licensing scheme for retailers of all tobacco and nicotine products and revisit the mandatory reduced-nicotine standard for all tobacco products to make it easier to quit and harder to become addicted.

   

• Introduce far greater transparency to prevent industry influence, including a lobbying register, a stand-down period for politicians before becoming lobbyists, comprehensive donation registers, disallowing donations from tobacco companies and requiring disclosure of all marketing investments by tobacco companies.

   

• Provide comprehensive services for smoking and vaping cessation, including vaping cessation programmes for rangatahi, growing the capacity of Māori-led, whānau-centred and culturally appropriate services.

   

Additional measures include:

• Introduce the Smokefree Generation to stop children and young people from ever being sold tobacco products, protecting future generations from smoking related harm.

   

• Strengthen monitoring and enforcement of illegal tobacco and vaping sales.

   

About this pou

HCA advocacy on tobacco and vaping control is informed by a Smokefree Expert Advisory Panel  whose members are leaders in tobacco control research and practice.  

• For more information on a Smokefree Aotearoa and research on tobacco and nicotine in New Zealand visit: Cancer Society, Hāpai Te Hauora, and ASPIRE Aotearoa, and  TRANSFORM