Published 2025-02-26
New Zealand vs Australia: Vaping Cuts Smoking Faster
Smoking is declining twice as fast in New Zealand than it is in Australia and scientists say that this is because New Zealand has far less restrictive rules on vaping.
In Australia, vapes are only available on prescription from pharmacies.
This has made them so hard to come by that they might as well be banned.
By contrast, the Ministry for Health in New Zealand explicitly supports the use of vapes for quitting smoking.
They are regulated as consumer products and readily available. They are no restrictions in where they can be sold; they can be displayed in specialist shops and are permitted with high nicotine content.
A study by scientists from the University of Queensland found that smoking in New Zealand over the last seven years declined by 10% every year (14.5 to 6.8%) compared to declines of just 5% every year in Australia (12.2% to 8.3%).
And whereas New Zealand had the higher rate of smoking before (14.5% versus 12.2%), now Australia does (8.3% versus 6.8%). This is the first time that rate of smoking has been lower in New Zealand than in Australia.
In both countries, the greatest declines in smoking were observed in the younger adult groups, the same group who has the highest rates of vaping.
"This suggests that vaping is replacing smoking, a similar pattern to what we have seen in countries like the UK and US where products like vapes are readily available,"
In his blog, study author Prof Colin Mendelsohn also points out that smoking prevalence fell three times faster in New Zealand’s lowest socioeconomic groups than in the same population in Australia (12% versus 4% per year).
And that smoking in New Zealand’s Māori population declined three times as fast as Australia’s indigenous population (16% versus 6% per year).
"These findings highlight the potential of vaping to reduce health and financial disparities by providing effective alternatives to smoking for high-risk groups."
Mendelsohn also points out that where Australia’s restrictive regime has created a thriving and violent black market – more than 220 tobacco and vape shops have been firebombed in Australia – there is no significant evidence of illicit trade in New Zealand.
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