Summarised by Centrist
In New Zealand, daily vaping has overtaken daily smoking for the first time, according to the New Zealand Health Survey (6,799 participants, ages 15+).
While the combined rate of daily smoking and vaping has slightly decreased to 16.5%, daily vaping has surged to nearly 10%, especially among young adults aged 18-24, with a rate of 22.9%. Of concern is the increase in daily vapers who have never smoked, rising from 7% in 2017/18 to 18% in 2021/22.
Meanwhile The ASH Year 10 Snapshot Survey (29,260 participants, all year 10 students) reports stable daily smoking rates at 1.2% but shows daily vaping at 10%, with a decline in regular vaping among 14/15-year-olds. These findings suggest a need to shift the focus on smoking’s harms to also cover vaping, especially due to its popularity among young people.
