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New Zealand is expected to become a smoke-free country soon. Recognized by the World Health Organization, a smoke-free status is granted to a country with adult smoking rates below 5 percent. New Zealand's smoking rate among individuals aged 15 and older reached 6.8 percent last year.
The New Zealand government believes the rate is set to reach below the 5 percent level by 2025. Wellington said the country's smoking rate has consistently declined since the government implemented the "Vaping to quit smoking" campaign in 2020.
"After New Zealand legalized and regulated vaping in 2020, we witnessed a remarkable 43 percent decline in daily adult smoking from 11.9 percent in 2020 to 6.8 percent in 2023. As a result, New Zealand is now on target to achieve its goal of becoming 'smoke-free' by 2025," former Massey University public health professor Marewa Glover said.
According to the Korea Electronic Cigarette Association (KECA), authorities of the New Zealand government had started acknowledging studies estimating vaping to be 95 percent safer than smoking and began various public support programs to use vaping to help smokers quit several years ago.
In 2019, the New Zealand Ministry of Health launched a website called "Vaping Facts," aimed at informing smokers that vaping is a possible way to quit cigarettes as it still provides nicotine to the smoker but with fewer of the toxins that come from burning cigarette products.
"Vaping made a significant contribution to reducing adult smoking rates and would remain 'the prime tool' for doing so," New Zealand Health Minister Shane Reti said.
The KECA says Wellington's successful campaign against smoking is a lesson."New Zealand's success offers a compelling blueprint for reducing smoking rates and advancing public health," said KECA Vice Chairman Kim Do-hwan. "(The Korean government) must step up and incorporate similar strategies to improve public health outcomes swiftly."
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