In March 2011 the Government adopted the Smokefree 2025 goal for New Zealand. This was in response to the recommendations of a landmark Parliamentary inquiry by the Māori Affairs select committee.
On this page:
- Achieving a smokefree 2025
- Help make New Zealand smokefree
- Prohibiting smoking in motor vehicles carrying children under 18 years of age
Where are we now?
- An overview of key tobacco control trends is available on the Tobacco Control Data Repository website
- Tobacco Achievements Summary Report tabled in Parliament on 14 August 2014 by the Hon Tariana Turia (docx, 200 KB)
Achieving a smokefree 2025
The Government is determined to reduce the horrendous burden of death and disease caused by smoking.
Smokefree 2025 will be achieved by:
- protecting children from exposure to tobacco marketing and promotion
- reducing the supply of, and demand for tobacco
- providing the best possible support for quitting.
Staying on track
The Government has set a long-term goal of reducing smoking prevalence and tobacco availability to minimal levels, thereby making New Zealand essentially a smokefree nation by 2025.
To achieve the long-term smokefree 2025 goal, by 2018:
- daily smoking prevalence must fall to 10 percent
- the Māori and Pacific rates should have halved from their 2011 levels.
These goals were set out in the Government Response to the Report of the Māori Affairs Committee on its Inquiry into the Tobacco Industry in Aotearoa and the Consequences of Tobacco Use for Māori.
Better help for smokers to quit
The Ministry’s health target Better help for smokers to quit is a driver towards the aspirational goal of Smokefree 2025.
This target is designed to prompt health providers to routinely ask about smoking status as a clinical ‘vital sign’ and then to provide brief advice and offer quit support to current smokers. There is strong evidence that brief advice is effective at prompting quit attempts and long-term quit success.
Helping others to quit smoking e-learning resource
Any health provider wishing to become quit card provider can now do so by successfully completing a new ABC e-learning tool was launched 7 August 2014.
The e-learning resource shows a variety of health professionals entering into the ABC pathway conversation with their clients.
The new ABC online resource is available on the LearnOnline website. A user guide is also provided when you register.
- For technical support contact tobacco@health.govt.nz
Help make New Zealand smokefree
Some ways you can help include:
- not smoking around children
- making your car and house smokefree
- talking to children about not starting smoking
- encouraging others to quit
- encouraging your local marae to be totally smokefree
- organising a Worldwide Smokefree day event (May 31 annually).
For more information on being smokefree, see Quit smoking in the Your health section.
Prohibiting smoking in motor vehicles carrying children under 18 years of age
The Government has made a decision to amend the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990 to prohibit smoking in vehicles carrying children under the age of 18. All details are included in the Cabinet Paper:
