Tobacco control

The Ministry of Health has traditionally been the key agency for policy development in the tobacco control area and is involved in a large number of policy, service development and operational aspects of tobacco control.

Cigarette being stubbed out.

The Ministry continually strives to ensure that its tobacco control activities are compatible with the international best practice in tobacco control as well as with its obligations under the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Other government agencies that also play roles in tobacco control include Treasury, Education, Customs and Youth Development.

The three key objectives of tobacco control activities in New Zealand are:

  • To reduce smoking initiation
  • To increase quitting
  • To reduce exposure to second-hand smoke.

In this section

  • The WHO FCTC was developed in response to the globalised tobacco epidemic. It is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health and has become one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in United Nations history. Read more
  • New Zealand has been at the forefront of tobacco control internationally for some time and has made steady progress in reducing smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption. Read more
  • On 28 February 2008 the regulations around graphic pictorial health warnings appearing on all tobacco packages sold in New Zealand came into force. The regulations, which were passed in February 2007, see 30 percent of the front and 90 percent of the back of cigarette packets covered by graphic health warnings. Read more
  • Publications relating to tobacco control and smokefree law in New Zealand. Read more