Smokers in New Zealand will have access to free e-cigarettes and e-liquid to quit smoking. The the New Zealand government announces as new figures point to the role of vejp in driving down smoking rates in the country to low levels.
"Vaping has played a key role in reducing smoking and the Government therefore supports adult smokers switching to e-cigarettes." said Deputy Health Minister Casey Costello.
The New Zealand government wants to reduce smoking rates to below 5% by 2025. It is now following the UK's example and using e-cigarettes to achieve this goal. From now on, smokers will be able to pick up a free starter kit and e-liquid for a month from various stop-smoking centres.
"We know that more people are trying to quit smoking over Christmas and New Year and we want to make sure that those working in smoking cessation are given more tools to help smokers quit," says the Deputy Minister for Health. Casey Costello to Radio New Zealand.
Want to attract the last smokers
Smokers will also have access to new e-liquid for a period of three months during their quit attempt. Authorities in New Zealand have for several years, like with the United Kingdom, recommended e-cigarettes and vejpning as smoking cessation tools. This includes via government-funded campaigns to provide information on the relative risks between vejping and smoking. According to Cochrane, a global institution for the evidence-based evaluation of health care interventions, e-cigarettes are one of the most effective tools for smoking cessation and according to Casey Costello it is hoped that the programme will attract groups that have previously found it difficult to quit smoking by traditional means.
"Those who used community smoking cessation services are four times more likely to quit smoking compared to those who don't receive any support, and this initiative gives those working with these services another tool." she adds Radio New Zealand.
"Vejpning has played a key role"
Smoking rates in New Zealand have fallen dramatically over the past 10 years. It currently stands at 6.9 per cent, compared to 16.4 per cent in 2011, partly due to the popularity of e-cigarettes, according to the authorities. In fact, while smoking has declined, the proportion of people who vejpar has increased over the same period from less than one per cent in 2015 to almost 12 per cent in 2024. This is true across all population groups, including the Māori group, where smoking has been significantly more prevalent than in other groups.
"Vaping has played a key role in reducing smoking and the Government therefore supports adult smokers switching to e-cigarettes. This is because vejping is much less harmful than smoking cigarettes." says Casey Costello.
Tightened the laws on e-cigs
Recently However, the government tightened laws on e-cigarettes, including plans to ban the sale of disposable models. The new law is based on environmental concerns, but also on the fear that the products will attract young non-smokers to take up vejpa.
Young people vejpar - older people smoke
According to the statistics, the distribution of the proportion of vejps and the decreasing proportion of smokers is even across the population. However, there are differences between age groups, with those aged between 15 and 44 vejp significantly more than those aged over 74. Similar trends apply to smoking. It is mainly older people who smoke today - while younger people are increasingly choosing e-cigarettes, according to Public Health Authority of New Zealand.
Reducing the risks of nicotine use
According to Ben Youdan, head of the organisation Action for Smokefree 2025The free e-cigarette initiative is an important step in reaching the goal of getting below 5% smokers in the country. But it is also important to reduce the harm from nicotine use in the country overall.
"There is absolutely no doubt that vejping is significantly less harmful than smoking cigarettes. It's not completely risk-free, but if you're a smoker and you switch to e-cigarettes, you can greatly reduce your risk of getting sick or dying as a result of your nicotine use." Ben Youdan told Radio New Zealand.
