The New Zealand Herald cited a recent government health survey report that the smoking rate has dropped more than usual.
From 2020 to 2021, smoking rates for all races will decrease. For Maori adults, the smoking rate dropped from 28.7% in 2019/2020 by 6.4% to 22.3%.
Action Smoking and Health （ASH） Director Deborah Hart （Deborah Hart） said the decline was due to the implementation of smoke-free measures, including plain packaging and the taxation of cigarettes.
The use rate of e-cigarettes has increased by 3.5% from 0.9% in 2015/2016. A study by ASH and the University of Auckland showed that among current smokers, the number of people who use e-cigarettes every day accounts for the vast majority.
“What we are seeing is the transition from very harmful smoking to e-cigarettes or less harmful products in e-cigarettes. This situation has been going on for several years, and we will continue to see this,” Hart said.
According to this study, the smoking rate among teenagers dropped by 8.1% from 12.9% last year.