New Zealand aims to reach Smokefree 2025 goal.
The New Zealand government is calling for a renewed effort to reduce smoking rates in the country, with a focus on targeting groups who need support most. Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said that despite progress made in recent years, a significant final push over the next 13 months is needed to meet the Smokefree 2025 goal.
According to the latest New Zealand Health Survey results, the daily smoking rate stands at 6.9 percent. However, there are promising signs of progress, with Māori smoking rates halving over the past five years and youth smoking rates reaching an all-time low. To achieve the goal of reducing the smoking rate below 5 percent by the end of next year, approximately 80,000 more people need to quit smoking.
The government plans to refocus its efforts on providing smokers with the tools they need to quit and stay quit. This includes launching a new Smokefree Action Plan and proposing an improved regulatory regime around nicotine and tobacco products. The plan aims to take practical steps to address black market tobacco and bolster monitoring, compliance, and enforcement.